News Releases

UWI Celebrates Graduation of Climate Change and Health Leaders

For Release Upon Receipt - July 7, 2023

St. Augustine


undefinedFrom Left: Professor Chris Oura, Project Lead for the UWI Climate Change and Health Leaders Fellowship Training Programme, Ms. Stacey Adams, Project Administrator/Manager with fellows: Ms. Jenise Tyson, Senior Research Specialist, Ministry of Health, Trinidad and Tobago Ms. Linnees Green-Baker, Environmental Health Specialist, Ministry of Health and Wellness, Jamaica Dr. Ayanna Alexander, Public Health Consultant, Trinidad and Tobago Ms. Najay Parke, Senior Macroeconomic Policy Analyst, Ministry of Finance, Grenada, Dr. Nicole Dawkins-Wright, Climate Change Focal Point, Ministry of Health & Wellness, Jamaica Ms. Lucy Cumberbatch, Program Manager, Health Peace Corps, Guyana, and Professor Craig Stephen, Co-coordinator for the UWI Climate Change and Health Leaders Fellowship Training Programme.

ST. AUGUSTINE, TRINIDAD, (July 7, 2023) - The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Climate Change and Health Leaders Fellowship Training Programme announced the graduation of twelve outstanding Caribbean professionals. During two summative workshops held in Kingston, Jamaica. The programme celebrated the achievements of these individuals who have completed their training as climate change leaders. The fellowship programme, funded by the European Union (EU), aims to cultivate strong and effective leadership in addressing climate change across various sectors including government, civil society, communities, and the private sector.

The recent graduates include Dr Ayanna Alexander, Jessica John and Jenise Tyson from Trinidad and Tobago, Roshnie Jhanjan from Suriname, Gerty Pierre from Haiti, Linnees Green-Baker and Dr Nicole Dawkins-Wright from Jamaica, Lucy Cumberbatch from Guyana, and Dr. Nyoni Winchester and Najay Parke from Grenada, Dr. Clint Todd Lewis from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dr. Nneka Hull James from Antigua and Barbuda. Their graduation ceremonies marked the culmination of their year-long journey in the programme, where they have been trained to tackle the interconnected challenges of climate change and health in the Caribbean region.

 undefinedFrom Left: Dr. Nneka Hull James, Veterinary Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, Antigua and Barbuda; Jessica John, Vice President, Trinidad and Tobago Association of Nutritionists and Dietitians, Trinidad and Tobago; Dr. Nyoni Winchester, Instructor, St. George's University, Grenada; Dr. Clint Todd Lewis, Senior Environmental Health Officer, Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and Roshnie Jhanjan, Policy Advisor, CARICOM and PAHO affairs and CARICOM Focal Point, Ministry of Health, Suriname.  Ms. Gerty Pierre, Climate Change Director, Ministry of Environment, Haiti was unable to attend in person and joined the orientation virtually.

 

Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz, Head of Cooperation of the European Union in Jamaica, praised the fellows as exemplary individuals who embody the vision of the fellowship programme. He emphasized the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in strengthening climate leadership and ensuring that climate action strategies remain purposeful and relevant to the Caribbean context. Mr Ruiz acknowledged the collaborative efforts of regional implementing agencies and the Pan American Health Organization, which contributed to the success of the programme.

Dean Chambliss, Subregional Programme Director of the PAHO Caribbean Subregional Programme Coordination Office, commended the EU/CARIFORUM Climate Change and Health Project for its remarkable performance. He highlighted that the fellowship and the related output on Health National Adaptation Plans (H-NAPs) have exceeded their targets. Mr Chambliss expressed his satisfaction with the progress made so far, with a total of 12 Climate Change and Health leaders from nine Caribbean countries already trained and six more fellows starting their journey.

Professor Christopher Oura, Co-Coordinator of the Fellowship, emphasized the rigorous selection process employed to identify individuals with the right skills and expertise. He highlighted the objective of building networks among multidisciplinary leaders from the Caribbean, enabling them to collaborate and support each other in tackling the complex challenges posed by climate change. During the workshop, the graduates had the opportunity to showcase their projects and engage in discussions with former and incoming cohorts, laying the foundation for an official network of climate and health leaders.

The UWI Climate Change and Health Leaders Fellowship Training Programme, funded by the European Union, aims to develop strong and effective climate change leadership in the Caribbean region. By promoting the One Health Approach, which recognizes the interconnectedness between the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment, the programme addresses the shared challenges of climate change and fosters collaboration among stakeholders.

This graduation ceremony signifies another milestone in the EU/CARIFORUM Climate Change and Health Project - Strengthening Climate Resilient Health Systems in the Caribbean, which will continue until the end of 2025.

 

END 

Notes to Editor 

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of its population. Founded in 1902, it is the world’s oldest international public health agency. It serves as the Regional Office of WHO for the Americas and is the specialized health agency of the Inter-American system.   

 The PAHO Subregional Program is responsible for providing subregional technical cooperation and to strengthen PAHO’s engagement with the Caribbean Subregional integration mechanisms, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and its various bodies and organs; and to build synergistic partnerships with the subregional institutions such as the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), among others. PAHO’s subregional technical cooperation specifically focuses on public health issues which would benefit from economies of scale and for which agreement on proposed collective responses and actions would produce a far greater impact rather than individual country responses. The Subregional Program also plays a role in coordinating among the different PAHO country offices.  

About The University of the West Indies 

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for the past 75 years. 

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe. 

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world. 

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean in the World University Rankings, it is also in the top 25 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action. 

2023 marks The UWI’s 75th anniversary. The Diamond jubilee milestone themed “UWI at 75. Rooted. Ready. Rising.” features initiatives purposely designed and aligned to reflect on the past, confront the present, and articulate plans for the future of the regional University. 

Learn more at www.uwi.edu   

Contact