Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh takes charge as WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh takes charge as WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia Region from 1 February 2014. She was elected by the 11 Member States of the Region in September 2013 and subsequently appointed by the WHO Executive Board at its 134th session in January 2014. Dr Khetrapal Singh is an Indian national and the first woman to hold this post.

Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh served for over two decades as a civil servant in India as a member of the Indian Administrative Services.

Important to note :

WHO's South-East Asia Region comprises the following 11 Member States:

• Bangladesh,
• Bhutan,
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
• India,
• Indonesia,
• Maldives,
• Myanmar,
• Nepal,
• Sri Lanka,
• Thailand,
• Timor-Leste.