Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh has been once again elected as the Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO). Along with this, India has retained the WHO's highest position in the Southeast Asia region. It may be mentioned that the next term of Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh will start from February 2019.
This election happened in the meeting of the Regional Committee of the WHO South-East Asia.
Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh became the first woman to be the Regional Director of the WHO of Southeast Asia on February 1, 2014.
He served for two decades in India as a member of the Indian Administrative Service.
In 1987, he was elected to the World Bank's Health, Population and Nutrition Department.
Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh also served as the Deputy Regional Director of WHO for South-East Asia Region from 2000 to 2013.
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is an important institution to develop mutual cooperation and standards on the health problems of the countries of the world.
This institution was established on April 7, 1948.
It is an indigenous unit of the United Nations and its headquarters is located in the city of Geneva, Switzerland.
World Health Organization's South East Asia Region
The South-East Asia Region of World Health Organization was established in 1948. It was the first of six regional organizations of the WHO.
The WHO's Southeast Asia region includes 11 member countries - India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor Leste.
Its headquarters are in New Delhi.
