GENEVA, Switzerland – The World Health Organization (WHO) mentioned Monday it had dismissed a senior official over “findings of sexual misconduct” following at the very least three reported accusations towards him in recent times.
The UN well being company, which has been working to enhance its document on tackling sexual misconduct and abuse allegations, didn’t present extra particulars about its findings towards Fijian physician Temo Waqanivalu.
But media have reported that the highest official in WHO’s non-communicable illnesses division stands accused of at the very least three totally different cases of alleged sexual misconduct since 2017.
The Associated Press in January named him because the suspected perpetrator in a broadly publicized case of alleged sexual assault through the World Health Summit in Berlin final October.
A younger British physician, Rosie James, tweeted on the time that she “was sexually assaulted by a WHO staff” member on the assembly.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus himself responded to her tweet, saying he was “horrified” by the accusations and providing his private help, stressing the company had “zero tolerance for sexual assault”.
‘Unacceptable’
The AP additionally reported that Waqanivalu had been accused of comparable sexual misconduct in 2018, with little consequence for his profession.
Instead, on the time the brand new allegation emerged towards him final October, he had been searching for, with high-level assist, to turn out to be the WHO’s prime official within the western Pacific area, the report mentioned.
“Waqanivalu has been dismissed from WHO following findings of sexual misconduct against him and corresponding disciplinary process,” spokeswoman Marcia Poole instructed AFP in an e mail.
The Financial Times earlier this month mentioned it had unearthed a 3rd accusation towards him, courting again to an occasion in 2017.
The WHO declined to remark as a result of investigations are confidential.
It did say that Waqanivalu had remained “on administrative leave during the investigation and administrative process.”
“We encourage all those who may have been affected by sexual misconduct to come forward through our confidential reporting mechanisms,” Poole mentioned.
The ongoing WHO reform course of comes after the company confronted huge criticism over its gradual response to allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by support employees despatched to the DR Congo through the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak.
In 2021, an impartial report established that 21 WHO staff have been among the many 83 humanitarian employees accused of sexual exploitation and abuse towards dozens of individuals within the DRC through the Ebola outbreak.
Poole mentioned WHO participates in “ClearCheck” screening to forestall the re-hiring of abusers inside the UN. — Agence France-Presse
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
