New building of WHO's South-East Asia Regional Office inaugurated in Delhi

New Delhi, Dec 19 (PTI) The newly constructed building of the World Health Organization's South-East Asia Regional Office in Delhi was on Friday inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The virtual inauguration of the building, constructed with contributions from the government of India, took place during the closing session of the Second WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine here.

Later in the evening, Union Health Minister J P Nadda led the health ministers and representatives of member states of WHO South-East Asia, Dr Ghebreyesus and WHO South-East Asia's Officer-in-Charge Dr Catharina Boehme for a site visit to the new building.

Thanking the Indian government for hosting the regional office and for their "generosity" in financing and overseeing this project, Dr Ghebreyesus 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 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 1960s, stood for over five decades.

Expressing gratitude to the Indian government for giving WHO a modern, sustainable and future-ready facility, Dr Boehme 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 facade, 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, a WHO statement said.

It incorporates extensive meeting and convening infrastructure, including a large conference and auditorium, among others.

The art and artefacts from the old building, gifted by member states, adorn the new structure, the statement said.

The MF Husain mural titled 'The History of Medicine', which 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 metres, as compared to the 10,500 in the old WHO House, the statement stated. PTI PLB KSS KSS