George Alleyne

Sir George Alleyne, a native of Barbados graduated in medicine from the University College of the West Indies in 1957 and holds a Doctorate in Medicine from the University of London. He was appointed Professor of Medicine in the University of the West Indies (UWI) in 1972 and Chair of the Department of Medicine in 1976. He joined the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in 1981, became Assistant Director in 1990 and Director in 1995. In 2003 he was elected Director Emeritus. From February 2003 until December 2010, he served as the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. From 2003 to 2017 he was Chancellor of the University of the West Indies and a visiting professor at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University. He is now Chancellor Emeritus.

Sir George has over 150 publications in peer reviewed journals dealing with problems of renal physiology and biochemistry and clinical medicine. During his term as Director of PAHO and subsequently, he has dealt mainly with issues of health policy and has been a member of numerous international Committees, Working Groups and Boards.

In recognition of his work, he has received several honorary degrees, prestigious decorations from many countries of the Americas and national and international honors. In 1990, he was made Knight Bachelor by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for his services to medicine. In 2001, he was awarded the Order of the Caribbean Community, the highest honor that can be conferred on a Caribbean national.