Dr Alaka Singh

Alaka Singh assumed the responsibilities of WHO Representative, Sri Lanka from 14th May 2021.  

An Indian national, Alaka Singh has worked in health and development for over two decades.  With WHO she has held positions at all three levels of the Organization, supporting countries in the South-East Asia as well as the African and Eastern Mediterranean Regions.  Her technical experience has been focused on health systems, primary health care (PHC) and universal health coverage (UHC).  She has led on several key WHO efforts in these areas, including development of the first Regional Strategy on Universal Health Coverage (2012-17) and, more recently, on a Regional agenda to advance PHC post-COVID.  Alaka Singh has also worked with the Office of the Director General Dr Margaret Chan at WHO HQ assisting with high-level discussions between the DG and Member States; and, as Deputy WHO Representative Myanmar, where she participated in the UN response to both the transition to democracy as well as the humanitarian emergency.

Prior to joining WHO, Alaka Singh worked for the World Bank in the New Delhi and Washington offices with the Health, Nutrition and Population cluster, participating in some of the first lending programmes for health systems in India.  

Alaka Singh has led several international conferences, served on academic panels and been a referee for international journals.  Her latest journal contribution was as Co-editor of the February 2021 issue of the South-East Asia Journal of Public Health that captures lessons learnt from the pandemic for strengthening PHC for UHC in the Region.

Alaka Singh has an educational background in health and development with a first degree from the Delhi University and advanced degrees from the College of William and Mary, Virginia, USA and Cambridge University, UK.