Dr. Anton Best
PAHO Bahamas
Advisor, Health Systems and Services
Dr. Anton Best is a public health physician and health systems specialist with over 25 years of experience in clinical medicine, public health, and health system leadership across the Caribbean. He currently serves as Advisor, Health Systems and Services with the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), based in Nassau, The Bahamas, where he provides strategic and technical cooperation to The Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
In his current role, Dr. Best leads and supports national efforts to strengthen health systems through a primary health care (PHC) approach, with a focus on advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC), integrated service delivery, governance, and system resilience. His technical portfolio spans health policy and strategy development, human resources for health, digital health transformation, quality of care, and the strengthening of Essential Public Health Functions (EPHFs). He plays a key role in aligning national priorities with PAHO’s Strategic Plan and broader regional and global health agendas.
From August 2023 to July 2024, Dr. Best was seconded to PAHO and assigned to Dominica, where he served as Advisor to the Minister of Health. He provided high-level technical leadership to post-Hurricane Maria health system reforms, supporting governance strengthening, service delivery reorganization, and implementation of the national Health System Transformation Initiative.
Prior to this, Dr. Best served as Deputy Chief Medical Officer in Barbados from 2021 to 2023, where he provided strategic leadership during the national COVID-19 response and contributed to strengthening public health systems, including primary health care, disease surveillance, and pharmaceutical system development. He also served as Acting Chief Medical Officer on multiple occasions, advising on national health policy, planning, and system management.
Dr. Best spent over a decade as Senior Medical Officer of Health with responsibility for the National HIV/STI Programme in Barbados, where he led one of the region’s most comprehensive public health programmes. His leadership contributed to significant reductions in HIV incidence and mortality, expansion of antiretroviral therapy coverage, elimination of mother-to-child transmission targets, and strengthening of laboratory systems and health information infrastructure. He also managed major international partnerships, including PEPFAR, CDC, and World Bank-funded initiatives.
His career reflects sustained engagement in regional and global health collaboration, including contributions to PAHO/WHO technical advisory processes and partnerships such as the Health Development Partnership between Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC). He is a published researcher, experienced policy developer, and recognized leader in advancing equitable, resilient, and people-centered health systems.
Dr. Best holds a master’s in public administration from Harvard University, a Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine from Tulane University, and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of the West Indies. He is an award-winning public servant, including recipient of the Barbados Gold Award of Achievement, and continues to contribute to health system innovation, policy reform, and sustainable development across the Caribbean.