WHO South-East Asia Regional Office Building Inaugurated in New Delhi

The building was virtually inaugurated on December 25 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has inaugurated its newly constructed South-East Asia Regional Office building in New Delhi, marking a major infrastructure expansion for the UN health body in the region.

The building was virtually inaugurated on December 25 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Built for $35 million, the new facility spans over 40,500 square meters of built-up area, significantly larger than the previous WHO House, which covered around 10,500 square meters. The office is located at the Indraprastha Estate, the same site where the original WHO House stood for more than five decades after being constructed by the Government of India in the early 1960s.

The new structure consists of three interconnected towers designed to support WHO’s regional operations across South-East Asia. It includes expanded meeting and convening infrastructure, such as a large conference facility and auditorium, intended to support regional coordination, policy discussions, and technical collaboration among Member States.

The building has been developed in line with green building standards, incorporating features aimed at reducing its environmental footprint. These include a façade designed to minimize heat gain, use of solar energy, rainwater harvesting systems, water treatment and reuse facilities, and the integration of indoor and outdoor green spaces.

Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge for WHO South-East Asia, acknowledged the Government of India’s role in supporting the new infrastructure. She described the facility as aligned with WHO’s long-term operational and sustainability requirements for the region.

Several artworks and artifacts from the original WHO House have been preserved and integrated into the new building. Among them is the mural ‘The History of Medicine’ by noted Indian artist MF Husain, which previously adorned the conference hall of the old building. The mural was conserved by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and has now been installed in the reception area of the new facility.

The new regional office is expected to serve as the WHO’s central coordination hub for health programmes, policy engagement, and regional cooperation across South-East Asia.

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