Bridgetown, Barbados, 3 February 2026 - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in partnership with United Nations (UN) agencies in Barbados, welcomed a group of visiting French Caribbean students for an orientation session highlighting PAHO’s work in the region, particularly in the French territories.
Approximately 30 students and their chaperones from EduCarib Mobility, an organisation that promotes cultural and educational exchanges between schools in Martinique, Guadeloupe, other French Caribbean islands, and the wider Caribbean, visited the UN House for a series of presentations and interactive discussions with UN personnel.
The session opened with remarks from Mr. Simon Springett, UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, who provided an overview of UN engagements with French Caribbean territories. This was followed by a presentation by Ms. Lisbeth Mjos, Development Coordination Officer responsible for the Multi‑Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (MSDCF), who outlined the UN’s regional cooperation priorities through the MSDCF.
Representing PAHO, Dr. Frédérique Dorleans, PAHO/WHO Advisor for Social and Environmental Determinants for Health Equity and focal point for coordination with the French Caribbean Territories, delivered an orientation on PAHO’s history, mandate, values and ongoing work in the region. She highlighted that France has been a participating state of PAHO since October 1951 and, as such, votes in the governance bodies of the organization. She also highlighted key elements of the PAHO/WHO Multi-Country Cooperation Strategy 2026–2031.
During her presentation, Dr. Dorleans emphasized the commitment and ongoing work of the PAHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries (PAHO-ECC) into strengthening the cooperation with the French Territories and she underscored the contributions of two French Caribbean health institutions to regional public health. These include:
- The University Hospital of Martinique Laboratory, a PAHO reference laboratory for antiretroviral resistance against HIV.
- The Pasteur Institute in French Guiana, a collaborating centre specializing in antimalarial drug resistance.
The session also provided an opportunity to share the recent positive development of the French Senate’s approval of Martinique’s bid to become a CARICOM Associate Member, signaling growing regional integration and cooperation.
PAHO and UN partners welcomed the engagement with the students, emphasizing the value of fostering greater understanding and collaboration between the French Caribbean and the wider region, especially among young people who represent the next generation of leaders.
