Dr Nilesh Buddha

Dr Nilesh Buddha, Officer-In-Charge, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office

Dr Nilesh Buddha assumed the role of Officer-In-Charge of the WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia, effective 17 August 2026, following his appointment by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He takes over from Dr Catharina Boehme, who served as Officer-In-Charge of the Region since July 2025.

Dr Buddha has been serving the WHO South-East Asia Regional Office as Regional Emergencies Director and Acting Director, Programme Management. A seasoned public health professional, he brings extensive institutional knowledge, leadership experience and a deep understanding of the Region’s health priorities. He is well placed to ensure continuity in the leadership and management of the Region during the transition period.

With training in medicine, epidemiology and management, Dr Buddha brings three decades of experience across major areas of public health, including communicable and noncommunicable diseases, health systems strengthening, health promotion, family health, and health emergency preparedness and response.

Since joining WHO in 1997 to support polio eradication efforts, Dr Buddha has served across four WHO regions – the Eastern Mediterranean, European, South-East Asia and Americas regions – as well as in WHO country offices in India, Myanmar and Sudan. He has worked extensively with governments, non-governmental organizations and UNDP at grassroots, national and regional levels.

His career combines technical expertise with extensive field experience in emergency response, programme management and policy implementation. He has a strong track record of working with diverse stakeholders across countries and regional settings, fostering collaboration, building consensus and advancing common priorities with a clear focus on results.

Dr Buddha is recognized for his people-centred and collaborative leadership, bringing together teams and partners to address complex public health challenges and deliver results.

Before joining WHO, he began his career as a medical doctor in India, providing clinical care and implementing public health programmes at community level.