Belize City, Belize, February 9, 2023 (PAHO) – Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell was appointed and officially took over as the new Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative for Belize.
A national of Jamaica, Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell, is a champion for working in the international health sector. With a Master’s Degree in Public Health from the University of West Indies and a Certificate in Reproductive Health Policy and Analysis from the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where she completed her fellowship in Health Policy and Management, Dr. Lewis-Bell is a medical doctor with over 29 years of experience in public health including working in various health capacity roles for the Ministry of Health in Jamaica.
In April 2014, she joined PAHO as an Advisor for Immunization providing technical cooperation for the Caribbean Sub-Region in strengthening their immunization programs. Thereafter, Dr. Lewis-Bell was promoted to the PAHO/WHO Representative (PWR) of Suriname in 2020.
As part of the transfer process, the PAHO/WHO transfer team including the outgoing PWR, Dr. Noreen Jack, and the incoming PWR, Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell, had an introductory meeting with the Minister of the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Hon. Kevin Bernard, Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Julio Sabido, and Director of Public Health and Wellness, Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa.
With experience also in health communication and promotion, epidemiology, prevention, disease outbreak, investigation and response, disaster management, reproductive health, and project development and management, Belize is proud to welcome Dr. Karen Lewis-Bell as the new PAHO/WHO Representative for the country.
Belize and the PAHO/WHO country office bid farewell to Dr. Noreen Jack and thank her for the guidance and support she has given to the country and the health sector for the past five years.
