U.N. health chief orders probe of alleged racism, sexism and corruption

LONDON — The head of the World Health Organization has ordered an internal investigation into allegations the U.N. health agency is rife with racism, sexism and corruption, after a series of anonymous emails with the explosive charges were sent to top managers last year.

Three emails addressed to WHO directors — and obtained by The Associated Press — complained about “systematic racial discrimination” against African staffers and alleged other instances of wrongdoing, including claims that some of the money intended to fight Ebola in Congo was misspent.

Last month, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told staffers he had instructed the head of WHO’s office of internal oversight to look into the charges raised by the emails. He con- firmed that directive to the AP on Thursday.

A WHO statement issued after the AP story was pub- lished said the agency was “aware” of such allegations and has “zero tolerance for misconduct or discrimina- tion of any kind.” The statement said Tedros has “cham- pioned openness, transpar- ency and diversity” since he became WHO’s chief.

However, critics doubt that WHO can effectively investigate itself and have called for the probe to be made public.

The first email, sent last April, claimed there was “sys- tematic racial discrimination against Africans at WHO” and that African staffers were being “abused, sworn at (and) shown contempt to” by their Gene- va-based colleagues.

Two further e m ai ls addressed to WHO directors complained that senior offi- cials were “attempting to sti- fle” investigations into such problems and also alleged other instances of wrongdoing, including allegedly misspent Ebola funds.

The last email, sent in December, labeled the behavior of a senior doctor helping to lead the response against Ebola as “unacc e ptable, unprofessional and racist,” citing a November incident at a meeting where the doctor reportedly “humiliated, disgraced and belittled” a subordinate from the Middle East.

Tedros — a former health minister of Ethiopia and WHO’s first African director-general — said investigators looking into the charges “have all my support” and that he would provide more resources if necessary.

“To those that are giving us feedback, thank you,” he told a meeting of WHO’s country representatives in Nairobi last month. “We will do everything to correct (it) if there are problems.”

But Tedros rebutted claims that WHO’s hiring policies are skewed, arguing that his top management team was more geographically diverse and gender-balanced than any other U.N. organization after adopting measures to be more inclusive.