Passing of Fmr PAHO Director is a loss for Caricom – Health Ministry

Former Director of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAH0) and World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for the Americas, Dr Carissa Etienne passed on Friday after suffering a heart attack, and news of her untimely death has sent shock waves around the global public health community.
The Health Ministry extended its condolences while lauding her as a friend of the public health system and Guyana. Her passing was regarded as a loss for not just her home country, Dominica, but the entire Caribbean Community.
“Dominica’s loss is also the loss for Caricom, a Region that has produced many public health heroes. Dr Carissa Etienne was one of the Caricom Region’s long lists of public health heroines and heroes who emerged to be a global public health leader,” the Ministry penned.
Dr Etienne last served the Latin America and Caribbean Region and the Americas as Director of PAHO, a position she was elected to in 2012 and assumed in January 2013. She was re-elected as Director in 2018 and completed a second term as Director in January 2023.
In December 2022, on one of her last visits to Guyana, she committed PAHO to an enhanced collaboration with Guyana’s public health sector. Even at the end of her term as Director, Dr Etienne looked out for the health and welfare of the Guyanese people.
Dr Etienne also served before 2013, first, as the Deputy Director of PAHO from 2003 to 2008 in Washinton, and, second, as an Assistant Director General of the WHO until 2012, after which she was elected as Director of PAHO.
Guyana benefitted enormously from her tenure as Director of PAHO between 2013 and 2023. She led PAHO’s drive to meet the goals of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as articulated in the SDGs 2030. In this regard, Etienne committed resources and human capital to assist Guyana in meeting her targets for UHC.
“In Particular, Dr Etienne was passionate that the UHC model catalyses the promotion of health services to tackle the scourge of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). The HEART Programme in Guyana is an example of how under her leadership, PAHO guided the introduction of UHC in our country.”
“Given her early work in Dominica and her sterling contributions to Health Systems Development as an Assistant Director General at WHO, it is not surprising that Dr Etienne was a staunch supporter of the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Syphilis and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the Region. Guyana is hopeful that our country will be declared as ending transmission of HIV from mother to child in 2024,” the Ministry added.
Passing at the age of 71, the Minister noted that Guyana has lost a true friend, but our systems are stronger because of the passion and commitment she has demonstrated.