The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the reopening of its Global Internship Programme. This initiative provides students and recent graduates with the chance to gain valuable practical experience within the United Nations health agency. The programme aims to enhance the skills and knowledge of participants while contributing to the WHO’s mission in global health.
The programme offers internships across different technical and administrative areas, allowing candidates to work with WHO teams and gain exposure to global health programmes. Internship positions may be available at WHO headquarters as well as regional and country offices. Candidates must be at least 20 years old at the time of applying. Applicants should be enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate programme in a relevant field, or have completed their qualification within the previous 18 months.
Candidates must also meet the language requirements of the office where they are applying and hold a valid passport from a WHO Member State. Eligible interns may receive financial support from WHO. The maximum amount is not the same for every internship and is mentioned in the individual vacancy notice, depending on the duty station. WHO also provides medical and accident insurance to interns for the duration of their internship. Depending on the location, interns may also receive meal support. At the end of the internship, they can request an internship certificate and may also ask their supervisor for a recommendation letter. Applications for WHO internships are submitted online through the organisation’s Stellis recruitment system. Candidates can apply for internship vacancies listed on the WHO Careers website. WHO advises applicants to check individual vacancy notices carefully, as eligibility requirements and application deadlines may vary between positions.
WHO internships are full-time and can last from six weeks to 24 weeks, depending on the requirements of the department and the particular internship position. For example, interns in Geneva receive daily lunch vouchers worth CHF 20 for use in WHO cafeterias. Interns are also entitled to personal time off equivalent to 2.5 days per month.
For bachelor’s-level applicants, at least three years of full-time university studies must have been completed before the internship begins.
