WHILE PANAMA’S Assembly struggles to get to grips with the issue of sexual education in schools,   the UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon has named a  Panamanian as new adjunct general secretary of the United Nations Population Fund, which aims to promote safe sexual practices among other issues.

Dr Natalia Kanem arrives at that position with more than 25 years experience in strategic leadership in the fields of medicine, public and reproductive health, peace, social justice and philanthropy.

She has taught at Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University.

Kanem holds a degree in medicine from Columbia in New York and a master's degree in public health, with a specialization in epidemiology and preventive medicine, from the University of Washington.

She also graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in history and science.