The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched an investigation into a top official after stafferes accused him of racist, abusive and unethical behavior that was affecting the organization’s ability to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The complaints were first made against Takeshi Kasai, the WHO’s Western Pacific regional director, in October, but they were made again in January by concerned staffers. They alleged that Kasai created a toxic culture rife with “systemic bullying and public ridiculing.”
Kasai was also accused of regularly using racist language in the workplace. According to staffers, he once expressed doubt that one employee could deliver a good presentation because she was Filipina.
The allegations against Kasai were first reported by The Associated Press.
“We take these this allegations seriously and we have acted with urgency,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in response to the allegations, according to the AP. Tedros said WHO headquarters was first made aware of the complaint in late 2021 and was now “following due process with the cooperation of the staff member.”
After the allegations were published, several countries called on the WHO to investigate, including the U.S. and the United Kingdom, which expressed concerns that his alleged abuse would undermine the organization’s goals. According to the AP, the WHO staffers who alleged abuse have not been informed of any investigation so far.
Staffers also alleged Kasai would regularly make degrading remarks about people from China, the Philippines and Malaysia, driving employees to tears at times. His management style supposedly resulted in the departure of at least 55 staff members. Kasai denied these allegations to the AP.
“I ask a lot of myself, and our staff,” he wrote in an email to the news wire. “This has particularly been the case during the COVID-19 response. But it should not result in people feeling disrespected.”
As a WHO regional director, Kasai, who has held the role since 2019, is in charge of tackling regional public health challenges. He has been with the WHO for 15 years and previously worked in regional offices in the Philippines and Vietnam.