Dr. Claudina Elington Cayetano
Dr. Claudina Elington Cayetano is a psychiatrist and public health professional with over 30 years of experience in mental health service delivery, health systems strengthening, and the implementation of mental health policy and service reforms. Until her retirement in 2025, she served as Regional Mental Health Advisor at the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), based in Washington, D.C. In this role, she provided technical cooperation to Member States across the Americas, with a particular focus on strengthening mental health systems, integrating mental health into primary healthcare, and advancing evidence-informed policies and interventions.
Dr. Cayetano obtained her medical degree from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, completed postgraduate training in psychiatry at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Before joining PAHO/WHO, Dr. Cayetano served as Director of the Mental Health Program at the Ministry of Health of Belize from 1995 to 2013. For more than a decade, she was the country’s only psychiatrist. During this period, she led major mental health system reforms, including the transition from institution-based care to an integrated, community-based model. The significance of Belize’s experience is also reflected in a recent World Health Organization publication launched to mark World Mental Health Day in 2026, which features Belize as a case study. This recognition highlights the country’s experience in transforming mental health service delivery and provides a valuable example of the practical application of mental health system reform.
Throughout her career with PAHO/WHO, Dr. Cayetano worked extensively with countries across the Caribbean and the wider Americas, supporting the adaptation and implementation of evidence-informed mental health policies, programs, and interventions within diverse health system contexts. Her professional experience offers a practical perspective on implementation science in mental health, the strengthening of health systems to support implementation, and the scale-up of mental health services. In recognition of her contributions to mental health, Dr. Cayetano received the 2011 award for “Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Mental Health Care” from the Swiss Foundation for World Health and WHO.