St John appointed WHO chair

Chief Medical Officer Dr Joy St John has been appointed Chairman of the Executive of the World Health Organisation (WHO), making her the first Caribbean citizen to hold the prestigious position.
Minister of Health Donville Inniss, in making the announcement today at the ministry, said it was an appointment that “all of Barbados should feel proud of”.
“Barbados has chaired many committees before but this was the first time that the opportunity presented itself for us to assume the chairmanship,” he said, adding that St John was also the first woman to hold the position in a decade.
St John said she looked forward to working in the WHO post. While she had to be neutral, Barbados and the wider Caribbean would be adequately represented, she said. (MB)