UK aid for disease fight spent on luxury travelling

TAXPAYERS’ money is being squandered on luxury hotels and first class travel by United Nations health chiefs, it was revealed yesterday.

More was spent on staff travel by the World Health Organisation than on tackling malaria, tuberculosis or Aids, leaked documents showed.

The WHO, the UN agency responsible for fighting disease worldwide, is funded by taxpayers through the Department of Health. Yet its staffers have sent the travel bill soaring.

The revelations will pile pressure on the Department of Health to urgently investigate.

As well as the Department of Health, the money comes from Britain’s overseas aid budget and several other departments.

The WHO has asked for even more to fund its responses to

‘Could be used to help patients’

world health crises. Despite its funding pleas, its director-general Dr Margaret Chan recently jetted to West Africa to praise health workers on triumphing over Ebola – and checked into the presidential suite at the fivestar Palm Camayenne hotel in Conakry, Guinea. The suite normally costs £800 per night.

Leaked documents show the WHO’s travel bill for staff is £153million. But it spent £55million tackling AIDS and hepatitis last year. On malaria, it spent £47million, and to fight tuberculosis it spent £45million.

Joyce Robins, of campaign group Patient Concern, said: ‘It makes you sick. This money could be used to help patients.’

A WHO spokesman said the nature of its work ‘often requires staff to travel’, insisting costs had been cut by 14 per cent and the travel policy updated to eliminate the first class option.

The Government declined to comment.