Dr. Carissa Etienne to be inaugurated as PAHO Director General

Dr. Carissa Etienne

Dominican, Dr. Carissa F. Etienne, will be inaugurated as Director General of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on January 31, 2013 in Washington, DC.

She officially begins her tenure on February 1.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit will be among speakers at the event.

Dr. Etienne was elected by the PAHO member states on 19 September 2012 and will begin her five-year term at the inauguration.

From March 2008 until November 1, 2012, she served as Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Services at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland. Prior to that, as Assistant Director of PAHO from July 2003 to February 2008, she led five technical areas—Health Systems and Services, Technology and Health Services Delivery, Health Surveillance and Disease Management, Family and Community Health, and Sustainable Development and Environmental Health.

During her tenures at WHO and PAHO, Dr. Etienne led the efforts to renew primary health care and to strengthen health systems based on primary health care, promoting integration and improved functioning of health systems. She has also spearheaded policy directions for reducing health inequalities and advancing health for all through universal coverage, people-centered care, the integration of health into broader public policies, and inclusive and participatory health leadership.

The World Health Report 2010, Health systems financing: the path to universal coverage, was produced under the direction of Dr. Etienne and WHO’s Deputy Director-General. The report is recognized worldwide for providing an agenda for action by countries at all stages of development to move more quickly and in a sustainable manner towards universal coverage, while proposing ways in which the international community can better support efforts to achieve universal coverage and improve health outcomes.

Dr. Etienne has also led the WHO global agenda to support universal access to safe and efficacious medical products and the development of a global code of practice for the international recruitment of health personnel. She also chaired the International Health Partnership (IHP+) initiative, which seeks to commit partners to work together and put into practice international principles for effective aid and development cooperation in the health sector.

In Dominica, she began her career as a medical officer at the Princess Margaret Hospital, where she eventually became the Chief Medical Officer. She has also served in other high-level posts in Dominica, including Coordinator of the National AIDS Program, Disaster Coordinator for the Ministry of Health, Chair of the National Advisory Council for HIV/AIDS, and Director of Primary Health Care Services.

Dr. Etienne received her medical degree (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery- MBBS) from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and her Master of Science degree in community health in developing countries from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London.

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14 Comments

  1. graduate
    January 22, 2013

    CONGRATS Dr Etienne!! Love hearing about my fellow D/cans doing well.

  2. anonymous2
    January 22, 2013

    I am sure that the good Dr. has good intentions, however, the entity that she works for doesn’t.

  3. Justice and Truth
    January 21, 2013

    Congratulations Carissa. Good luck in all your endeavors. You have studied and worked hard and deserve this recognition and position. You are a model for especially the youth and one to be emulated. God bless!

  4. jeanmarie
    January 21, 2013

    congrats dr ettienne make us proud

  5. ma
    January 21, 2013

    congrats and all the best ,god bless

  6. Sofie
    January 21, 2013

    Can the PM arrange a meeting with Doimicans in the DC area when he appears in DC for the Doc’s affair? I guess not since Gabu and Fontaine have serous questions for him.

  7. Jaime Lewis
    January 21, 2013

    Congratulations to Dr. Etienne. May God continue to bless you. Best wishes.

  8. BEE
    January 21, 2013

    Congratulation Dr. Ettienne may God continues to bless you throughout your. career.

  9. Ronald
    January 21, 2013

    Congrats Doc. Wishing you God’s blessings and guidance as you begin a new challenge.

  10. Lisad
    January 21, 2013

    Congratulations Dr. Ettienne. However besides making us proud as a country, how will this appointment benefit Dominica? No negativity intended.

  11. Anonymous
    January 21, 2013

    You have made the Commonwealth of Dominica really proud.

  12. brian and mary wood
    January 21, 2013

    Congratulations Carissa! Brian and Mary Wood(nee Benjamin)

  13. Medard Expert
    January 21, 2013

    Hope Medard don’t make his usual Flub. Like the last time he said an annual event should be biannually. His English ………… he cannot speak creole as for French??

    • fil
      January 21, 2013

      Why can’t you give Medard a break and congratulate Dr. Ettience.

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