Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines – Just four months into the role, the newly appointed Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of World Pediatric Project (WPP), Mr. Vafa Akhavan, embarked on his first visit to St. Vincent and the
Grenadines. Accompanied by the Chairman of the Board of Directors for WPP, Dr. Brian Claire, they spent three (3)
days beginning February 24 th to 26 th . The CEO’s trip to the Caribbean also included visits to St. Lucia and Barbados,
and involved multiple meetings with key stakeholders. Executive Director for SVG and the Eastern Caribbean, Ms.
Lauren McIntosh was also in attendance.
In SVG, the hub in the Caribbean, fruitful engagements occurred with officials from the Ministry of Health,
Wellness, and the Environment, namely; Minister, Hon. St. Clair Jimmy Prince; and Permanent Secretary, Mr.
Cuthbert Knights. The WPP team also had a courtesy call with Minister of Finance, Economic Planning, Sustainable
Development and Information Technology, Hon. Camillo Gonsalves, as well as Minister of Mobilization, Social
Development, Family, Gender Affairs, Persons with Disabilities and Youth, Hon. Orando Brewster.
WPP Executive Director, Ms. McIntosh expressed that it was a fruitful trip that reflects the presence of WPP in this
part of the world. “The visit from the CEO is certainly an indicated of the WPP’s immense interest in the Caribbean.
Further, one can tell that the optimism and appreciation from CEO Akhavan were matched by the various
stakeholders engaged, which augurs well for the future of WPP in the region as we continue to advance health
care for our children,” articulated Ms. McIntosh.
Other highlights of the CEO’s visit to SVG comprised a tour of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. The team also
drove to the far windward side of the island to visit some of WPP’s families. The families that were visited were
some of those affected by the April 2021 eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in the red zones.
WPP is looking forward to welcoming the general orthopedic and the scoliosis medical teams to St. Vincent in April
where they anticipate scores of children locally and regionally will be evaluated and surgeries performed.