Former Indian health ministry official Poonam Khetrapal Singh has assumed charge as director for World Health Organization's (WHO) Southeast Asia Region, becoming the first Indian to hold the post since 1968, an official release said Friday.
With Singh's election, an Indian occupies the post of regional director of South East Asian Regional Organization (SEARO) after a gap of 44 years, an official release said here.
India last occupied the post from 1948 to 1968.
Singh is an acknowledged public health specialist and administrator with vast experience and recognition in public health and the United Nations system.
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