BackIndia gets WHO South-East Asia regional director post after 44 years
Poonam Khetrapal Singh will replace Samlee Plianbangchang of Thailand, who has been in the post since 2004
Premium(Bloomberg)
New Delhi:Poonam Khetrapal Singh, adviser on international health to the health ministry, was on Thursday nominated to the post of regional director for South-East Asia at the World Health Organization (WHO).
She was nominated for a five-year term by the 11 member countries participating in the ongoing 31st meeting of health ministers from the WHO South-East Asia Region and the 66th session of the WHO regional committee for South-East Asia, in New Delhi.
The 32-member executive board of the WHO is expected to appoint Khetrapal Singh as regional director in January in Geneva, replacing Samlee Plianbangchang of Thailand, who has been in the post since 2004. India last had a WHO regional director for South-East Asia 44 years ago, when C. Mani was nominated to the post.
“The election of the regional director is an opportunity to strengthen India’s commitment to perform its role in health and development with World Health Organization as a key partner," health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said.
Khetrapal Singh has earlier served WHO as executive director, sustainable development and healthy environments, and as a member of the cabinet of the director-general in Geneva. In India, she has been an adviser to the health ministry since March.
The South-East Asian Regional Organization is one of six regions of WHO with its headquarters in New Delhi. Its 11 members are India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Timor Leste and North Korea.
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