Mukul Bhola

Biography

Mukul Bhola serves as Director of the United Nations Satellite Centre at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), effective 1 January 2026. He leads the Centre’s strategic positioning, partnerships, and operations within the evolving UN reform landscape. Previously, he was Director of UNITAR’s Division on NCD, Digital Health, and Capacity Building, where he established and led the organization’s global health portfolio. He founded The Defeat-NCD Partnership, growing it into a multi-country platform that mobilized over USD 30 million and supported national health strategies across Asia and Africa. Mr Bhola has led major institutional partnerships and flagship initiatives, including UNITAR’s contribution to the WHO Academy, overseeing the migration of more than 140 public health courses and expanding access to training for over 10,000 health professionals worldwide. He has also led implementation research with WHO and represented UNITAR at major global health forums. With over 25 years of international experience, he has held leadership roles with UNOPS, UNDP, UNISDR, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). He holds a first-class honours degree in Economics from the University of London and speaks English, French, German, Hindi, and Punjabi.