Position: Health Economist

Location: Lusaka, Zambia

Reports to: Deputy Director of Research Coordination, Knowledge Translation and Capacity Building

Employment Type: Full-time

Closing Date: 8th August, 2025

About NHRA

The National Health Research Authority (NHRA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Health established by the Health Research Act No. 2 of 2013. It regulates, coordinates, and promotes health research in Zambia to ensure research contributes to evidence-based health policy and planning.

Job Overview

NHRA is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Health Economist to provide technical expertise in health economics to support the generation, translation, and application of economic evidence in health research and policy. The role will contribute to strengthening the integration of cost-effectiveness, efficiency and economic impact assessments in national health research, programs, and knowledge translation initiatives for improved health outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct economic evaluations of health interventions and research projects.

• Support the development of investment cases for health research.

• Engage stakeholders and support capacity building in health economics.

• Support research teams and policy-makers in integrating economic considerations into health research design, policy and implementation.

• Lead the development of economic models to inform health financing and investment decisions.

• Collaborate with the Knowledge Translation team to produce policy briefs and decision-support tools based on economic evidence.

• Analyze the economic burden of disease and assess the impact of health interventions on health systems and society.

• Build capacity among researchers and policy makers in health economics through training workshops, mentorship, and technical support.

• Contribute to the development of national guidelines, strategies, and frameworks related to health economics and research prioritization.

• Participate in multi-sectoral and inter-departmental working groups to ensure economic evidence informs health planning and policy.

• Write technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, and present findings to relevant stakeholders.

Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Requirements:

• Master’s Degree in Health Economics, Economics, or related field.

• 3–5 years’ experience in health economics, preferably in a public health setting.

• Proficiency in analytical tools (e.g., Stata, R, Excel).

• Strong understanding of Zambia’s health system.

Desirable Attributes

• Experience working with government institutions, development partners, or health research organizations.

• Understanding of knowledge translation principles and the role of evidence in decision-making.

• Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders at national and regional levels.

• Strong commitment to equity, ethics, and public service.

Remuneration

A competitive salary will be offered in accordance with NHRA’s salary structure and commensurate with experience.

How to Apply

Submit a cover letter, CV, and names of three referees to:

The Director and Chief Executive Officer
National Health Research Authority
Email:jobs@nhra.org.zm

Subject: Application for Health Economist Position

Please note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Background

Zambia has demonstrated leadership in Primary Health Care (PHC) delivery. However, persistent fiscal constraints—exacerbated by recent economic challenges—have weakened the stability and predictability of financing for immunisation services. These constraints have resulted in delayed and insufficient disbursements for both Gavi-supported and routine vaccines, leading to service disruptions and vaccine stockouts that undermine immunisation programme performance.

Immunisation financing in Zambia is increasingly under pressure from rising programme costs due to an expanded vaccine portfolio, inflationary trends, and competing public health priorities. Government contributions—excluding health worker salaries—covered only 37% of immunisation costs between 2020 and 2022. While Zambia has maintained its Gavi co-financing commitments, delays in actual remittances have posed operational risks.

The current financing model involves centralised procurement of vaccines and capital equipment, alongside decentralised disbursement of operational grants to provinces and districts. However, inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and underfunding at the subnational level remain unresolved. These challenges are compounded by fragmented donor support, limited private sector engagement, and weak expenditure tracking mechanisms.

Amid broader reforms—such as decentralisation and the rollout of the National Health Insurance Scheme—there is a critical need to re-evaluate how immunisation financing is structured, tracked, and sustained. Strengthening budget planning, resource mobilisation, and public financial management (PFM) at all levels will be essential to safeguard gains in immunisation coverage and equity.

To this end, the National Health Research Authority (NHRA), in collaboration with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health, is undertaking a comprehensive Immunisation Financing Assessment (IFA). The goal is to generate robust evidence and practical recommendations to improve the efficiency, equity, and sustainability of Zambia’s immunisation financing landscape within the broader PHC framework.

Position: Team Lead/Health Economist & Assessment Team

Project: Immunisation Financing Assessment

Duration of Contract: Up to 60 working days in 4 months

Start Date: 15 July 2025

Location: Lusaka (with field travel to targeted provinces and districts)

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

UNICEF’s Zambia Country office, in collaboration with the Zambian Ministry of Health (MOH) and partners, is supporting efforts to strengthen health systems for better immunisation within Primary Health Care (PHC).

The main goal of this immunisation financing analysis is to identify and address funding issues affecting PHC and immunisation at the sub-national level, and to build capacity to overcome these challenges in Zambia.

Scope of Work

1. Mapping and Tracking Funding Flows

• Engage stakeholders from Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance and National Planning, UNICEF, and partners.

• Analyse funding allocations, disbursements, and spending at national and subnational levels.

• Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

• Produce a funding flow map and summary report with recommendations.

2. Capacity Building in Budgeting and Planning

• Design and deliver training for district and facility-level staff on immunisation budgeting within PHC systems.

• Develop/adapt budgeting tools for subnational use.

• Support inclusion of immunisation in district operational plans.

• Document key lessons.

3. Assessment of Innovative Financing Models

• Review global and local models (e.g., performance-based financing, direct facility funding).

• Conduct fieldwork and stakeholder interviews.

• Assess feasibility in the Zambian context and provide recommendations.

4. Health Spending Analysis

• Analyse PHC and immunisation budgets and expenditures.

• Identify trends, inefficiencies, and priority gaps.

• Consult stakeholders to define domestic financing options.

• Produce a technical report and policy brief.

5. Validation and Implementation Planning

• Organize a stakeholder validation workshop.

• Present findings, gather feedback.

• Finalize the full assessment report and implementation roadmap.

Minimum Requirements/Qualifications

• Must have an advanced degree in Health Economics Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required

• Minimum 7 years of proven experience conducting research in health and Immunisation Financing (IF) or implementation research.

• Documented knowledge of Immunisation Financing (IF), PFM, and health systems.

• Direct work experience with Zambia’s Ministry of Health and/or Ministry of Finance and National Planning.

• Familiarity with Zambia’s ethical review process and ability to lead ethical approval submissions.

• Strong quantitative and qualitative research capabilities.

• Proven ability to produce policy-oriented outputs for decision-makers.

• Excellent report writing and verbal communication skills in English.

• Experience with UN or UNICEF-supported projects is an added advantage.

Additional Team Members (Minimum 2 Required)

• Advanced degrees in economics, public health, social sciences, statistics, demography, or related fields.

• At least 5 years of professional experience including research on PHC, immunisation, or community health in Zambia.

• Skills in data collection, analysis, synthesis, and stakeholder engagement.

• Strong quantitative and qualitative analysis.

• Ability to translate findings into clear, actionable reports for policy and planning audiences.

• Knowledge of research uptake strategies and local health systems.

Optional but encouraged: Field Coordinator and/or Research Assistants with demonstrated experience in field logistics, data collection, and stakeholder engagement.

How to apply

• Cover letter from Team Lead

• Detailed CVs of the Team Lead and all team members with traceable referees

• Description of at least two similar projects completed in the last 5 years

• A sample report authored or co-authored by the Team Lead

• Daily rates and availability of each team member between July and November 2025

Interested candidates who meet the above requirements are encouraged to submit their applications to jobs@nhra.org.zm

Closing date is Wednesday 9th July, 2025. Note that only the short-listed candidates will be contacted to attend panel interviews.