Current and former staffers have accused the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific regional director of racist, unethical and abusive behaviour that has undermined the UN health agency’s efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The allegations were made in an internal complaint filed in October and again in an email sent to high leadership and the executive board last week by an unidentified “concerned WHO staff.” According to two of the authors, it was written by more than 30 staff members and reflected the experiences of more than 50 people.
The internal complaint and email depict a “toxic atmosphere” with a “culture of systemic bullying and public ridicule” at WHO’s Western Pacific headquarters in Manila, which is managed by Dr. Takeshi Kasai, director of a wide region that includes China and his home nation of Japan. The AP has also received audio recordings of Kasai making disparaging statements about his employees based on their nationality. Eleven former or present WHO employees who worked under Kasai told the Associated Press that he routinely used racist words.
Staffers who did not identify themselves to WHO “due to fear of punishment” said in an email that Kasai’s autocratic attitude has resulted in the departure of more than 55 critical personnel in the last year and a half, the vast majority of whom have not been replaced. This led in a lack of understanding and involvement among member countries, which “certainly contributed” to an increase in cases in several countries throughout the region, they claimed. Other WHO officials, however, pointed out that increases in COVID cases were caused by a variety of factors, including nations’ own resources and the timing of their national efforts.
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