CARIBBEAN-HEALTH-Dominica nominates PAHO director for second term

WASHINGTON, May 3, CMC – The Dominica government has nominated Dr. Carissa F. Etienne for a second term as Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau (PASB), which is the secretariat of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
PAHO said that Dr. Etienne’s nomination was contained in a letter to the President of PAHO’s Executive Committee, Argentinian Health Minister Dr. Jorge Lemus, “under the rules governing the election process for the position of Director of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau.”
It said that no other country submitted nominations ahead of the May 1 deadline..
PAHO legal advisor, Dr. Nancy Machado, detailed the regulations and process in a meeting at PAHO headquarters on Tuesday, attended by Juan Jose Arcuri, Argentina’s permanent representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), and by Dr. Lemus via videoconference.
PAHO member states will elect the new director during the 29th Pan American Sanitary Conference, scheduled for September 25-29 in Washington.
As required by PAHO’s Constitution, the director will have a five-year term of office and cannot be re-elected more than once.
The new term of office will begin on February 1, 2018.
PAHO said the process for electing the PASB director began on March 1, 2017, when the president of the PAHO Executive Committee invited member states, participating states and Associate members to submit nominations for the director’s post.
PAHO said all documents supporting Dominica’s nomination will be translated into the organization’s four official languages and made available to all stakeholders on or before June 1 this year.
Dr. Etienne was elected PAHO director on 19 September 2012 .