Poonam Khetrapal Singh reappointed WHO regional director for South-East Asia

Surjit kumar Dhal, New Delhi, Jan 28: Poonam Khetrapal Singh has been appointed the South-East Asia regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for a second five-year term.

             The WHO Executive Board Saturday unanimously endorsed Khetrapal Singh, who was earlier unanimously nominated by 11 member-countries of the region for another five years.

             Congratulating her, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “The first woman to become Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region, you have provided dynamic leadership in a Region that accounts for a quarter of the world’s population but a disproportionate burden of diseases. Under your leadership, the Region has made remarkable progress.”

             In her acceptance speech, Khetrapal Singh said, “It is a privilege to once again be appointed as Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region. The confidence you have reposed in me is humbling.”

             Outlining her vision for the second term that begins on February 1, Khetrapal Singh said sustaining the gains, accelerating progress to finish the unfinished agenda and innovating would be the approach to ensure health and wellbeing of the 1.8 billion people across the Region.

             In her first term, she focused on building an increasingly responsive and accountable WHO in the Region, while prioritising persisting and emerging epidemiological and demographic challenges; promoting universal health coverage, strengthening emergency risk management and articulating a strong regional voice in global health agenda.