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Dr. Carissa Faustina Etienne (born the 2 of November of 1952, citizen of the Commonwealth of Dominica), during her 30-year career on public health, has served since 2008 as the Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Services at the World Health Organization. Prior to joining the World Health Organization, Dr. Etienne served as the Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organization from 2003 to 2008. Before working at PAHO, she had a long career as a public health official at Dominica.

Education

Dr. Etienne did her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica in 1976. Later on, she earned a Master of Science in Community Health (major in Health Care Management) in 1982 at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. In recognition of her achievements in her native Dominica the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine awarded her an Honorary Diploma of Public Health in 1996.

Professional career at Dominica

Carissa Etienne began her career as a medical officer at the Princess Margaret. She held high-level posts such as the Coordinator of Dominica's National AIDS Programme, Disaster Coordinator for the Ministry of Health of Dominica, Chairperson for the National Advisory Council for HIV/AIDS and the Director of Primary Health Care for Dominica.

Appointed as Chief Medical Officer, she led the transformation of the nation’s health services based on primary health care, directing all technical programmes in the Dominican Ministry of Health. She was responsible for planning, organization and management of the delivery of health care services, including administration and supervision of health workers at all levels, supported by the creation of Dominica’s first community health information system.

During her tenure, Dominica achieved universal coverage for all primary care programs, with immunization coverage rates of 95 per- cent, 90 percent coverage for prenatal care and deliveries by trained birth attendants, access to continuous care for chronic non-communicable disease, the integration of health education programs into all communities, and the establishment of health committees in all districts. Dr. Etienne also coordinated the national AIDS program and national disaster response effort. At both the national and subregional levels, Dr. Etienne worked to increase access to safe, quality, efficacious medical products. She was a founding member of the Technical Advisory Committee of the Eastern Caribbean Drug Service.

'Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organization

From 2003 to 2008 Dr. Etienne served as Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organization. Her record of public health leadership in the Americas includes: Leading the renewal of primary health care (PHC) in the Americas, and the development of a strategy to develop health systems based on PHC, resulting in renewed commitment and reforms among PAHO Member States for universal health coverage, integrated care networks, community participation and social protection. Also, she lead the multi-sectoral pandemic influenza preparedness and response planning in the Americas, providing the basis for Member States to develop national response plans and strengthen national capacities to implement International Health Regulations (IHR). She promoted the expansion of Anti-retrovirals coverage for HIV/AIDS in the Region through support to countries to implement the 3 by 5 initiative. Regarding the non-communicable diseases crisis in the Americas, worked out an integrated regional plan of action to address prevention and control.

A cornerstone of Dr. Etienne’s approach in PAHO was to build partnerships to achieve joint health objectives. In that sense, she fostered cooperation among PAHO Member States and across sectors in order to develop regional approaches for: Integrated Approach to the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases, Vital Health Statistics, Human Resources for Health, HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Blood Safety, Oral Health and Nutrition for Health and Development, as well as Gender Policy.

Assistant Director-General for the Health Systems and Services of the [[World Health Organization]]

At her current post, Dr. Etienne has spearhead WHO’s work on universal coverage, notably through the development of the World Health Report- Health systems financing: the path to universal coverage, and the plan of action to support Member States to achieve universal coverage.

As head of the Health Systems and Services Direction-General, Dr. Etienne has given support to WHO Member States to define and implement HRH plans incorporating global policy recommendations for the production and retention of health workers and the Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel.

Also, in collaborations with the World Bank, chairs the International Health Partnership (IHP+) that is a coalition of 55 international health agencies, governments, donors and development partners committed to implementing the Paris Declaration and improving health and development outcomes in developingcountries; improving access to safe, good quality, efficacious medical products by establishing norms and standards for Member States to implement in this area; developing the first list of technologies for primary care, and guidelines for prourement and management of health technologies; and leading the revitalization of the primary health care approach, manifested in national health planning and greater donor alignment with country priorities.

Currently, Dr. Etienne is one of the five candidates to succeed Dr. Mirta Roses as Director of the Pan American Health Organization.