GENEVA (AN) — The World Health Organization fired the director of its Western Pacific Region for misconduct, after investigating dozens of staffers' allegations.
WHO announced Dr. Takeshi Kasai's termination Wednesday, almost a year and a half after staff members filed a bullying complaint, first reported by the Associated Press last year, alleging he behaved in a racist, abusive and unethical manner that potentially undermined the U.N. health agency's COVID-19 pandemic response.
The allegations against Kasai received during the latter half of 2021 and in 2022 "were investigated and subsequently reviewed in accordance with the normal procedures applicable to all WHO staff members," WHO said, noting the investigation complied with its "policy of zero tolerance for abusive conduct."
"This included the right of the regional director to receive all relevant evidence and respond to the allegations in line with due process. These procedures resulted in findings of misconduct," officials explained.
A summary of the investigation's findings were presented earlier this week to WHO's Executive Board. It found that Kasai regularly harassed staff who feared retaliation if they spoke up about his misconduct, AP reported. Kasai has denied using racist language or otherwise behaving in an unprofessional manner.
"After careful consideration of the findings, and following consultation with the regional committee for the Western Pacific and the Executive Board, the regional director’s appointment has been terminated," WHO said.
Let’s celebrate female health workers on #InternationalWomensDay!
— World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific (@WHOWPRO) March 8, 2023
“I find it very rewarding to reach out to the women, give them the information, and they develop the trust for you to conduct tests on them” Karolina Tamani, nurse midwife in Fiji 🇫🇯#WomensDay#IWD pic.twitter.com/ZRCHBRRJ5x
Replacement to come in October
Kasai, who has worked for WHO in various technical and managerial roles over the past two decades, is a public health expert who began his career as a physician specializing in tropical medicine and health care for the elderly in the northeast coast of his native Japan.
He was WHO’s representative to Vietnam from 2012 to 2014 and took over the Western Pacific region at the start of February 2019.
The global health organization said it plans to hold a closed-door election to replace Kasai in October, after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus invites countries to propose candidates next month. The Western Pacific region covers almost 1.9 billion people across 37 countries and territories.
An emeritus regional director in Europe, Hungarian public health expert Zsuzsanna Jakab, who began filling in for Kasai starting last August, will remain in charge of the Western Pacific region on an acting basis until the election is held.
