Rosie Bistoquet

Rosie Bistoquet (26 July 1961 – 21 December 2023) was a Seychellois midwife and politician who served as a proportionately elected member of the 7th National Assembly of Seychelles from Pointe Larue constituency on the ticket of Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS). She was director for family health and nutrition and was noted to be the first health professional to develop HIV Integrated Biological and Behavioural Surveillance Survey among female sex workers in Seychelles, Angola and Mauritius.

Career

Healthcare Rosie Bistoquet started her career as a nurse and midwife in 1981 and rose through the ranks to the position of director for family health and nutrition. During her term, she advised the Ministry of Health primary methods of diseases prevention and improvement of child and maternal health, sexual and reproductive health and coordinated expanded immunization programmes against diabetes. This brought her to the attention of international organisations including the World Health Organisation, United Nations Programme on HIV/AID (UNAIDS, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Southern African Development Community (SADC). She was noted as the first health professional to develop HIV Integrated Biological and Behavioral Surveillance Survey method among female sex workers in Seychelles, Angola and Mauritius. Bistoquet was a volunteer executive member of the Red Cross Society of Seychelles for seven years. She also worked as a director at the Ministry of Health.

Awards and recognition In 2019, Bistoquet received a CEO Global Award for her contributions to the development of Seychellois society. She had two children.

Death and investigation Bistoquet was found dead at her home on 21 December 2023. Her funeral was held at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Victoria, and she was buried in Mont Fleuri Cemetery.

Following Bistoquet's death, the Seychelles Police announced they were treating the event as a murder. Her 37-year-old daughter was arrested as a suspect.