The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of the Technical Advisory Group on Diabetes (TAG-D). This “Call for experts” provides information about the TAG-D, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.
Background
The TAG-D was established in August 2021 to act as an advisory body to WHO to further WHO’s leadership and coordination role in promoting and monitoring global action against diabetes.
The aim is to strengthen international and national action in this important public health area and thereby (1) reduce premature mortality from diabetes through prevention and treatment [1] and (2) progressively cover additional people with health services, medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and health technologies for the prevention and control of diabetes, [2], and (3) strengthen efforts to address diabetes as part of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). [3]
In April 2021, WHO established the Global Diabetes Compact, which has the vision of reducing the risk of diabetes and ensuring that all people who are diagnosed with diabetes have access to equitable, comprehensive, affordable and quality treatment and care. [4] As part of this initiative, global coverage targets for diabetes have been established. [5]
The first group of experts in the TAG-D have completed the 2-year term as per terms of reference. An open call for expressions of interest by suitable experts for the next term is therefore required.
Functions of the Technical Advisory Group on Diabetes
In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, TAG-D shall have the following functions:
- to identify and describe current and future challenges;
- to advise WHO on strategic directions to be prioritized;
- to advise WHO on the development of global strategic documents; and
- to propose other strategic interventions and activities for implementation by WHO.
Operations of the Technical Advisory Group on Diabetes
The TAG-D shall normally meet twice per year. However, WHO may convene additional meetings. Meetings may be held in person (at WHO headquarters in Geneva or another location, as determined by WHO) or virtually, via video or teleconference.
TAG-D members are expected to attend meetings. If a member misses two consecutive meetings, WHO may end his/her appointment as a member of the TAG-D.
Active participation is expected from all TAG-D members, including in teleconferences, and interaction over email. Members may, in advance of meetings, be requested to review meeting documentation and to provide their views for consideration by the TAG-D.
The TAG-D meetings will be conducted in English. All documentation, including reports and working documents, will be provided in English.
The TAG-D will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to the important areas mentioned below. Up to 12 members may be selected.
WHO welcomes expressions of interest from:
Scientists, public health experts, healthcare professionals, innovators and policy-makers representing the broad range of disciplines relevant to diabetes including but not limited to expertise on early diagnosis and treatment, prevention, and cure for diabetes (and co-morbidities) with expertise in the following areas:
- Major obstacles faced by countries to achieving global coverage targets for diabetes by 2030 and in the WHO global action plan on the prevention and control of NCDs (2013–2030).
- Access to insulin, including WHO prequalification of insulin, industry approaches to price-setting, payer-approaches to price-setting, relationship between inputs throughout the “value chain” and price-setting, impacts on price, availability, affordability, research and development, and price transparency, unintended negative consequences, options that might enhance affordability and accessibility.
- Recommendations on how to strengthen the prevention of type 2 diabetes in countries.
- Recommendation on how to strengthen early detection and treatment of diabetes, including management of complications, in countries.
- Recommendations on how to strengthen surveillance of diabetes, in countries.
Existing TAG-D members can reapply for an additional term.
Submitting your expression of interest
To register your interest in being considered for the TAG-D, please submit the following documents by Thursday 13 July 2023 at 23:59 (Geneva time) to [email protected] using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Technical Advisory Group on Diabetes”:
- A cover letter, indicating your motivation to apply and how you satisfy the selection criteria. Please note that, if selected, membership will be in a personal capacity. Therefore, do not use the letterhead or other identification of your employer.
- Your curriculum vitae.
- A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.
After submission, your expression of interest will be reviewed by WHO. Due to an expected high volume of interest, only selected individuals will be informed.
Important information about the selection processes and conditions of appointment
Members of WHO TAG-D must be free of any real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. To this end, applicants are required to complete the WHO Declaration of Interests for WHO Experts, and the selection as a member of TAG-D is, amongst other things, dependent on WHO determining that there is no conflict of interest or that any identified conflicts could be appropriately managed (in addition to WHO’s evaluation of an applicant’s experience, expertise and motivation and other criteria).
All TAG-D members will serve in their individual expert capacity and shall not represent any governments, any commercial industries or entities, any research, academic or civil society organizations, or any other bodies, entities, institutions or organizations. They are expected to fully comply with the Code of Conduct for WHO Experts (https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest). TAG-D members will be expected to sign and return a completed confidentiality undertaking prior to the beginning of the first meeting.
At any point during the selection process, telephone interviews may be scheduled between an applicant and the WHO Secretariat to enable WHO to ask questions relating to the applicant’s experience and expertise and/or to assess whether the applicant meets the criteria for membership in the relevant TAG-D.
The selection of members of the TAG-D will be made by WHO in its sole discretion, taking into account the following (non-exclusive) criteria: relevant technical expertise; experience in international and country policy work; communication skills; and ability to work constructively with people from different cultural backgrounds and orientations. The selection of TAG-D members will also take account of the need for diverse perspectives from different regions, especially from low- and middle-income countries, and for gender balance.
If selected by WHO, proposed members will be sent an invitation letter and a Memorandum of Agreement. Appointment as a member of TAG-D will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these 2 documents.
WHO reserves the right to accept or reject any expression of interest, to annul the open call process and reject all expressions of interest at any time without incurring any liability to the affected applicant or applicants and without any obligation to inform the affected applicant or applicants of the grounds for WHO’s action. WHO may also decide, at any time, not to proceed with the establishment of the TAG-D, disband an existing TAG-D or modify the work of the TAG-D.
WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any applicant, how an expression of interest was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for not choosing a member.
WHO may publish the names and a short biography of the selected individuals on the WHO Internet.
TAG-D members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the TAG-D or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of TAG-D members to participate in TAG-D meetings will be covered by WHO in accordance with its applicable policies, rules and procedures.
The appointment will be limited in time as indicated in the letter of appointment.
If you have any questions about this “Call for experts”, please write to [email protected] well before the applicable deadline of 13 July 2023 at 23:59.
Notes:
[1] In accordance with SDG targets 3.4 (NCDs and its risk factors), 3.5 (harmful use of alcohol), 3.8 (UHC) and 3.a (tobacco control) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
[2] In accordance with paragraph 24(a) of A/RES/74/2.
[3] In accordance with paragraph 33 of A/RES/74/2.
[4] The WHO Global Diabetes Compact webpage https://www.who.int/initiatives/the-who-global-diabetes-compact[5] First-ever global coverage targets for diabetes adopted at the 75th World Health Assembly https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/first-ever-global-coverage-targets-for-diabetes-adopted-at-the-75-th-world-health-assembly
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