PM Modi inaugurates new WHO South-East Asia Regional office building

The Honourable Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi, and WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, inaugurated the newly constructed building of the World Health Organization South-East Asia Regional Office.

The virtual inauguration of the building, constructed with a generous contribution from the Government of India, took place during the closing session of the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine.

Later in the evening, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mr JP Nadda, led the Health Ministers and representatives of Member States of WHO South-East Asia, Dr Tedros and Officer-in-Charge of WHO South-East Asia, Dr Catharina Boehme, for a site visit to the new building.

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Thanking the Government of India for hosting the Regional Office and for their generosity in financing and overseeing this project, Dr Tedros said, “This building is more than a workplace. It is a symbol of shared purpose and cooperation, and a platform from which we will continue striving toward WHO’s founding goal: the highest attainable standard of health for all.”

The new WHO building, comprising of three interconnected towers with modern features, stands on the same land at the Indraprastha Estate where the ‘WHO House’, built by the Government of India in the early 1960’s, stood for over five decades.

Expressing gratitude to the Government of India for giving WHO a modern, sustainable and future-ready facility, Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge, WHO South-East Asia, said, “This is not just a building; it is a symbol of our shared vision and commitment to advance health and wellbeing across the region and beyond.”

The new building meets green building standards, reduces heat gain through its façade, uses solar energy, harvests rainwater, treats and reuses water, and integrates indoor and outdoor gardens for a lower environmental footprint, aligning with WHO’s commitment to climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health facilities. It incorporates extensive meeting and convening infrastructure, including a large conference and auditorium, among others.

The art and artifacts from the old building, gifted by Member States, adorn the new structure. The MF Husain mural titled ‘The History of Medicine’, that adorned the conference hall of the old building, was preserved by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and has now been installed at the reception hall of the new building.

Built at a cost of USD 35 million, the new building has a total built-up area of over 40,500 square meters, as compared to the 10,500 in the old WHO House.

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