The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that it has sent its deputy chief to replace the regional director for Asia, who has been accused by staff of abusive, racist and authoritarian behavior.
“Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr. Takeshi Kasai, short. During the absence of the CEO, his activities will be taken over by the Deputy CEO, Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab, ”the WHO told AFP, confirming the information published by the Associated Press.
Yakab is currently second in the Geneva-based body and is the right-hand man of Ethiopia’s CEO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was re-elected to his post for a second term a few months ago.
The same WHO source who confirmed the information said the Kasai investigation was still “ongoing.”
Kasai, who denies the accusations, was accused of creating a “toxic environment” at the regional headquarters, where there was a work culture of “systematic bullying and ridicule” of employees.
The workers who filed the allegations and asked to remain anonymous “out of fear of retaliation” specifically mentioned that there were “discriminatory comments against certain nationalities”, in particular local Filipino employees.
“Abusive and racist leadership”
Last week, the WHO pledged to take “appropriate action” over allegations of racist and abusive behavior against a Japanese doctor. Takeshi Kasai.
Kasaiwho is also accused of interfering with the WHO’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, denied the allegations and said he was willing to cooperate with any investigation.
The Associated Press reported that dozens of officials from the Western Pacific Department internally denounced its director in October, and in January they sent an email with the allegations to the executive board of the Geneva-based United Nations system organization. In an email seen by AFP, Kasai he is accused of “abusive and racist leadership”.
They also point to the mismanagement and squandering of donations made to fight the pandemic, the abuse of power to ensure his re-election to office, and nepotism in hiring staff. In addition, “urgent intervention” by WHO member countries is required to address their concerns.
“I take the concerns expressed about my management style very seriously,” he wrote. Kasai, in office since February 2019, in a document shared with the WHO, which the AFP news agency was able to see. He added that he was willing to “make changes that will provide a supportive work environment” but specifically denied any racist behavior in the document.
Source: RPP
I’m Liza Grey, an experienced news writer and author at the Buna Times. I specialize in writing about economic issues, with a focus on uncovering stories that have a positive impact on society. With over seven years of experience in the news industry, I am highly knowledgeable about current events and the ways in which they affect our daily lives.