The Indian Institute Public Health (IIPH) Shillong was established by the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) in collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya (GoM). The Institute aims to redress the limited institutional and systems capacity in public health in the northeast region of India.

The northeast region of India is largely populated by indigenous peoples (scheduled tribes). Many areas in the northeast continue to grapple with poor health indices. The region consists of eight states namely: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Together the land mass is bordered by Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh.