Call for Experts! Technical Advisory Group on Leprosy

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members on the Technical Advisory Group on Leprosy. This “Call for experts” provides information about the advisory group in question, the expert profiles being sought, the process to express interest, and the process of selection.

Background

The WHO Technical Advisory Group on Leprosy (TAG-Leprosy) serves as the principal advisory body to the WHO on matters related to the elimination of leprosy. TAG-Leprosy is mandated to provide guidance on global policies and strategies encompassing a broad range of areas, including epidemiology, monitoring and implementation, patient care, prevention, research and development in newer drugs, diagnostics and surveillance tools, and the delivery of interventions, in coordination with other health programs.

The Group was first constituted in 2013 and has since been re-established at regular intervals. As per the NTD Roadmap, leprosy is one of the diseases targeted for elimination. The Global Leprosy Strategy 2021–2030 sets forth the goal of “Zero Leprosy” — zero disease, zero disability, and zero stigma and discrimination.

To ensure the effective implementation of this strategy and support countries in reaching elimination, sustained technical and strategic advisory input is essential. As the tenure of the current TAG-Leprosy concludes in 2025, WHO aims to re-establish the Group for a further period of three years (September 2025 to August 2028).

Functions of the Technical Advisory Group for Leprosy

1. To provide independent assessment of the technical and strategic aspects related to leprosy care and prevention, including social aspects and inclusion of persons affected by leprosy.
2. To recommend priorities for the Global Leprosy Programme on the development of the technical products, implementation of the guidance and research needs.
3. To advise WHO on planned activities and approaches as outlined in the Global Leprosy Strategy and corresponding annual action plans.
4. To advise WHO on advocacy, integration within the primary health care and collaboration with partners for coordinated support to the countries for leprosy elimination; and
5. To review and make recommendations to WHO on planning and implementation of the WHO strategies and guidelines on leprosy care, prevention, digital tools and elimination of leprosy.

Operations of the Technical Advisory Group for Leprosy

The TAG shall normally meet at least twice each year. TAG meetings may be held in person or virtually. However, WHO may convene additional meetings as per need. The working language of the group will be English.

TAG meetings may be held in open and/or closed session, as decided by the Chairperson in consultation with WHO.

• (a) Open sessions: Open sessions shall be convened for the sole purpose of the exchange of non-confidential information and views and may be attended by Observers.
• (b) Closed sessions: The sessions dealing with the formulation of recommendations and/or advice to WHO shall be restricted to the TAG members.

Who can express interest?

The Technical Advisory Group on Leprosy will be multidisciplinary, with members who have a range of technical knowledge, skills and experience relevant to clinical and public health aspects of leprosy and health system. Approximately 15 members may be selected.

WHO welcomes expressions of interest from:

• Healthcare professionals, researchers and persons affected by leprosy with expertise on the following areas:
  • Clinical aspects of leprosy care and prevention among children and adults
  • Public health aspects of leprosy care and prevention including disability management
  • Laboratory diagnosis and drug resistance
  • Integrated service delivery within the primary health care
  • Global health
  • Ethics, equity, human rights and gender including stigma, discrimination and mental health

Submitting your expression of interest

To register your interest in being considered for the Technical Advisory Group on Leprosy, please submit the following documents by 15 August 2025, 23:59 CET to India time to glp@who.int  using the subject line “Expression of interest for the Technical Advisory Group on Leprosy:

• 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; and
• A signed and completed Declaration of Interests (DOI) form for WHO Experts, available at https://www.who.int/about/ethics/declarations-of-interest.

See the application form.

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 advisory groups (AGs) 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 an AG 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 AG 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). AG 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 AG.

The selection of members of the AGs 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 AG 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 will be subject to the proposed member returning to WHO the countersigned copy of these two 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 AG, disband an existing AG or modify the work of the AG.

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.

AG members will not be remunerated for their services in relation to the AG or otherwise. Travel and accommodation expenses of AG members to participate in AG 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 glp@who.int  before the applicable deadline. 

Related document: Terms of reference

Deadline: 15 August 2025

Official Announcement: WHO