Late PAHO Director Dr Carissa Etienne hailed as “friend” of Guyana’s public health system

Last Updated on Saturday, 2 December 2023, 21:29 by Writer

Guyana’s Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony and the Ministry of Health on Saturday hailed the contributions of former Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Americas, Dr Carissa Etienne who passed away suddenly on Friday.

“The Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony is saddened by the sudden death of Dr. Etienne who has always been a friend of the public health system and Guyana,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.

She died of a heart attack in the United States (US) on December 1, 2023.

“Guyana has lost a true friend, but our systems are stronger because of the passion and commitment of Dr. Carissa Etienne. The Minister of Health expresses his loss of a friend who has stood by him since he assumed his position as Minister in August 2020. The Minister expresses his gratitude for Dr. Etienne’s support particularly during the crucial period when COVID-19 was ravaging the region,” the Health Ministry added.

In December 2022, on one of her last visits to Guyana, when Health Minister Anthony hosted a national farewell for Dr. Etienne, the Ministry said 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,” the ministry here added.

The Health Ministry noted that Guyana benefitted enormously from Dr Etienne’s tenure as Director of PAHO between 2013 and 2023. During her tenure as Director of PAHO, she was credited as leading PAHO’s drive to meet the goals of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) as articulated in the SDGs 2030. In that regard, the Guyana government noted that Dr Etienne committed resources and human capital to assist Guyana in meeting her targets for UHC. In particular, the Health Ministry said Dr Etienne was passionate that the UHC model catalyzes the promotion of health services to tackle the scourge of 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, the ministry also said.

Saying that her untimely death has sent shock waves around the global public health community, Guyana’s Health Ministry noted that her passing was not only a loss for her native English-speaking Dominica where she had served as Public Health Officer and Chief Medical Officer, but for the wider 15-nation Caribbean Community (CARICOM). “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 Health Ministry said.

The well-known medical doctor in Dominica was regarded as “a citizen of worth” to her country.

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.

Dr Etienne also served before 2013, first, as the Deputy Director of PAHO from 2003 to 2008 in Washington, and, second, as Assistant Director General of the WHO until 2012, after which she was elected as Director of PAHO.

Given her early work in Dominica and her sterling contributions to Health Systems Development as an Assistant Director General at WHO, the Guyana Health Ministry said 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.