International Consultant - Developing national investment case on inclusion of modern contraceptives into the Universal Health Coverage plans

The Position:

Developing national investment case on inclusion of modern contraceptives into the Universal Health Coverage plans

The international consultant in health economics will serve as the lead consultant, responsible for the overall methodological approach, development of the analytical framework, and design and implementation of the modelling and economic analysis in line with international standards and UNFPA guidance.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

Kazakhstan has achieved significant progress in improving maternal and reproductive health outcomes over the past two decades. The maternal mortality ratio declined substantially from 60.9 per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 10.1 in 2024, reflecting the benefits from sustained investments in maternal health services within health system strengthening initiatives. According to recent national survey data (MICS 2024) and routine health system indicators:
● over 99 per cent of births are attended by skilled health personnel
● the proportion of home births remains below 1 per cent
● more than 95 per cent of pregnant women receive antenatal care
● a geographically distributed network of health facilities ensures nationwide access, including in rural areas
● Modernization of the health care system is gaining traction with 90% of public health facilities fully equipped with state-of-the-art solutions and multidisciplinary expertise.
However, this strong service delivery system has not been fully leveraged to ensure equitable access to family planning.
In the area of family planning, progress has stagnated and partially reversed. The modern contraceptive prevalence rate (mCPR) has declined from 53 per cent in 2015 to 44 per cent in 2024, while unmet need for family planning has increased from 9.8 per cent in 2015 to 18 per cent in 2024. The prevalence of induced abortions remains high in Kazakhstan. While the number of induced abortions has declined (from 83.7 thousand in 2014 to 71.8 thousand in 2023), a notable trend is observed (i) increase in spontaneous abortions (from 43.8 thousand in 2014 to 53.1 thousand in 2023) and (ii) continued reliance on dilatation and sharp curettage (D&C) as a main abortion method.
A combination of structural constraints drives these trends: (i) absence of modern contraceptives in the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) / Mandatory Social Health Insurance (MSHI) benefit package benefit package, (ii) persistent social norms and stigma surrounding family planning, (iii) limited method mix and supply constraints, (iv) absence of long-acting reversible contraceptives, (v) high out-of-pocket costs for contraceptives, (vi) confidentiality concerns, particularly for adolescents and young people, etc.
As a result, despite a strong healthcare delivery platform, equitable access to modern contraception is noted to be fragmented, financially constrained and insufficiently integrated into routine health services.
The current policy environment creates a critical opportunity for reform. The Concept of Healthcare Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan until 2029 prioritizes strengthening maternal and child health, improving access to family planning services, expanding coverage of preconception care and promoting responsible reproductive behaviour
This comprehensive direction across the life cycle is reinforced in the UNFPA Country Programme Document (2026-2030), which positions family planning as a key accelerator for reducing maternal mortality, preventing unintended pregnancies, improving adolescent and youth health outcomes, and strengthening demographic resilience anchored on human capital development.
In this context, inclusion of modern contraceptives into the Mandatory Social Health Insurance (MSHI) benefit package represents an important entry point for high-impact legislative and policy reform.

To support evidence-based decision-making on including modern contraceptives into the UHC/MSHI benefit package, UNFPA will engage an international expert and a national specialist to co-develop the national investment case under government leadership. Specifically, UNFPA plans to recruit: (i) an international consultant in health economics with strong expertise in sexual and reproductive health (SRH), economic modeling, and investment case development, and (ii) a national public health specialist focused on family planning and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), who will lead the collection, validation, and provision of the national data required for the economic analysis.
Both consultants will work in close collaboration with national partners, including the Ministry of Health, the Scientific Centre of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Perinatology, the National Scientific Centre of Healthcare Development, and KMPA (the Kazakh Association on Sexual and Reproductive Health), to ensure that the investment case is deeply aligned with national priorities and fosters institutional ownership

You would be responsible for:

The international consultant in health economics will serve as the lead consultant, responsible for the overall methodological approach, development of the analytical framework, and design and implementation of the modelling and economic analysis in line with international standards and UNFPA guidance.

The assignment will consist of the following six components, each requiring consensus of key national partners at every stage of development:
1. Methodological framework and analytical design
2. Data collection, validation and preparation
3. Scenario development based on agreed assumptions
4. Modelling and impact analysis
5. Economic and financial analysis
6. Development of the investment case document

Refer to the attached ToR for more details

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

● Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in health economics, health financing, public health, economics, or a related field
● Additional specialization or training in economic evaluation, health systems financing, or investment case development is an asset

Knowledge and Experience:

● Minimum 15 years of professional experience in health economics, health financing, or related areas
● Proven experience in developing investment cases, economic evaluations, or cost-effectiveness analyses in the health sector
● Demonstrated experience working in sexual and reproductive health, including family planning
● Proven experience working with or aligning to international standards and tools (e.g., WHO, UNFPA methodologies)
● Previous experience working with UN agencies or international organizations in the same assignments is an asset
● Strong expertise in health economic modelling, including cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit and budget impact analysis
● Experience in applying analytical tools such as Spectrum (FamPlan, LiST), OneHealth Tool or equivalent
● Strong understanding of health systems, UHC frameworks and health financing mechanisms
● Experience in linking health outcomes with economic and fiscal analysis

Languages:

● Fluency in English (required)
● Proficiency in Russian (advance)

Required Competencies:

● Strong analytical and structured thinking
● High-quality drafting and documentation skills
● Ability to translate technical analysis into policy-relevant recommendations
● Strong coordination and facilitation skills

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.