Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Hon. Cornelius de Weever welcomes Dr. Carissa Etienne of Dominica who has been elected the new Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Etienne was recently elected by PAHO Member States during the 28th Pan American Sanitary Conference.
"As a newly born Associate Member of PAHO, we the country of Sint Maarten, hereby want to express our sincere congratulations to the newly elected Director of PAHO, Dr. Carissa Etienne. We welcome her with a warm heart, and wish her success in the new position," Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labour Hon. Cornelius de Weever said on Monday.
The new Director will start her five-year term on February 1, 2013, succeeding Dr. Mirta Roses Periago of Argentina, who has been PAHO Director since 2003.
Dr. Etienne is currently Assistant Director General, Health Systems and Services of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. From 2003 to 2008 she served as Assistant Director of PAHO, WHO’s Regional Office for the Americas.
In her acceptance speech, Dr. Etienne said she looked forward to working for the countries of the Americas, which have achieved many advances in health and development, but which also face many challenges. In thanking the ministers of health of PAHO member countries for electing her, Dr. Etienne pledged to build on the rich tradition of Pan Americanism.