WHO’s Western-Pacific chief investigated over claims of racism and misconduct
- The accusations target the head of the agency’s Western Pacific region Japanese doctor Takeshi Kasai, who has said he is ready to cooperate in any investigation
- Kasai is accused of ‘authoritarian and racist leadership’ sharing privileged information with the Japanese Foreign Ministry, and of not wanting to criticise China
World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Saturday announced an investigation into a “senior staff” member, the UN agency’s Western Pacific chief, over claims of racism and misconduct.
“We have been aware of some concerns since late 2021 and have been following due process. With the cooperation of the staff member, an investigation process is under way,” Tedros said on the final day of the WHO’s Executive Council meeting in Geneva.
The WHO chief did not say when the inquiry opened, adding that “there is a limit to what we can say at this time”.
However Tedros added that “we take these allegations seriously”.
The serious accusations, detailed in an email seen by Agence France-Presse after the affair was revealed on Thursday by Associated Press, target the head of the agency’s Western Pacific region Japanese doctor Takeshi Kasai, who has already said he is ready to cooperate in any investigation.
According to Associated Press, dozens of WHO staff members filed an internal complaint in October before sending an email in mid-January to the countries on the UN agency’s executive board.
In the email, they accused Kasai of “authoritarian and racist leadership” adding that he had regularly shared privileged information with the Japanese Foreign Ministry, of not wanting to criticise China and of having “wasted” donor money.