Bridgetown, Barbados 24 August 2026 (PAHO/WHO) – Dr. Eva Jané Llopis has assumed duties as the new Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries, bringing 25 years of international public health leadership and extensive experience working across countries and regions.
In her new role, Dr. Jané Llopis will lead PAHO/WHO's technical cooperation with Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries (ECC), working closely with governments, ministries of health and other partners to advance national and regional health priorities and strengthen resilient and equitable health systems.
The PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries provides technical cooperation to Barbados; the six independent countries of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) – Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; the UK Overseas Territories of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Montserrat; and the French Departments in the Caribbean of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Saint Martin.
Dr. Jane Llopis said, “It is a privilege to begin this new assignment and to work alongside the governments and people of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries. Together with the PAHO/WHO team, I look forward to listening, learning and building on the strong partnerships and progress already established, while supporting countries in addressing their health priorities and strengthening resilient, equitable and people-centered health systems.”
Dr. Jané Llopis brings extensive experience across international organizations, government, academia and civil society, with expertise spanning primary health care, noncommunicable diseases, mental health, public-private partnerships, health governance and sustainable development.
Since 2021, she has served as PAHO/WHO Representative in Argentina, where she led policy advice and strategic technical cooperation with the Ministry of Health and strengthened policy dialogue and collaboration with ministers of health across the country's 24 jurisdictions. Her work supported advances in primary health care, disease surveillance, noncommunicable diseases, mental health and digital health, while also strengthening resource mobilization and organizational effectiveness.
She has held senior roles with the Pan American Health Organization, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe, with the European Commission, contributing to policy dialogue, strategy and multi-country initiatives. She was Director of Health Programs at the World Economic Forum, leading global efforts to elevate NCDs on the international agenda, including at Davos and UN platforms. She served as professor at Maastricht University and as Director of Health and Sustainable Development at ESADE Business School.
A Spanish national, she holds a PhD in Social Sciences from Nijmegen University and a degree in Psychology from the University of Barcelona. She holds an Executive Master’s degree in Global Leadership and has undertaken executive education at leading business schools including INSEAD, and Wharton. With over 100 scientific publications, and a frequently invited speaker at high-level conferences, she has mobilized resources and led think tanks and work in countries across Europe, and Latin America.
Dr. Jané Llopis succeeds Dr. Amalia Del Riego, who retired from PAHO/WHO in June 2026. Dr. Prabhjot Singh served as Interim PAHO/WHO Representative during the leadership transition.
Her appointment comes as PAHO/WHO continues to work with countries across the Eastern Caribbean to strengthen health systems and advance priority areas including primary health care, health security and emergency preparedness, noncommunicable diseases and mental health, health workforce development, digital transformation, disease elimination and climate-resilient health systems.
