Dr. Carina Vetye

Dr. Carina Vetye, born 1965 in Buenos Aires/Argentina, holds a PHD in pharmacy from the University of Buenos Aires and is a certified pharmacist from the Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich.

Already as a child she felt the legacy of her ancestors in her genes – her grandfather was also a pharmacist – and decided early to immerse herself in the natural sciences. She also speaks three languages fluently: Spanish, German and English.

During and after her pharmaceutical studies, she worked in public pharmacies in Argentina and Germany and for more than twenty years in drug registration. Since 2002 she has been working for Pharmacists without Borders Germany (PwB): She set up pharmacies for the poor in the slums of Buenos Aires, leads training courses for local health personnel and teaches the inhabitants of the slums basic health skills. In addition, she leads the training and qualification of German-speaking pharmacists for foreign assignments in emergency and disaster relief. In addition, she leads the training and qualification of German-speaking pharmacists for foreign assignments in emergency and disaster relief at PwG. Her high competence in development cooperation and emergency aid is also very much appreciated by other medical and pharmaceutical aid organisations: She is frequently asked for advice, cooperation and training.

As a PwB project manager, she has been managing a PwB pharmacy connected to the local health centre in the Villa Zagala slum in Buenos Aires since 2008. What motivates her to help people in need? “My grandfather was catholic and a very helpful person. In 1944 he and his family were deported to various concentration camps in what was then Yugoslavia. His son – my father – was 14 years old at that time and he told me when I was about that age that he thought that this would only be a short nightmare. That somebody would rescue them soon. But no one was helping. My father could flee at the risk of his life, my grandfather died in the camp. For me the decision was clear: I want to be there for people who need help.

Dr. Carina Vetye is the laureate of the “Else-Kröner-Fresenius-Prize for Medical Development Cooperation 2018“. The award, endowed with 100,000 EUR, honours projects for the improvement of health care in developing countries, which are characterised by an outstanding and sustainable commitment to ill people in need.

For inquiries about booking IEHK manual training courses by Dr. Carina Vetye please contact: info@thinktank-Verlag.de