The Western Pacific director of the World Health Organization has been placed on indefinite leave following accusations from staffers of abuse, racism and unethical behavior.
Staffers say Dr. Takeshi Kasai’s behavior undermined the agency’s effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.
According to a January report from AP News, more than 30 staffers helped write an internal complaint that described the “toxic atmospheres” at the agency’s Manilla headquarters under Kasai’s leadership. The staff members specifically noted a culture of “systemic bullying and public ridiculing” and submitted recordings of Kasai making derogatory comments about staff members based on their nationality.
Anonymous staffers told the outlet that “Kasai’s authoritarian style has led to the departure of more than 55 key staff in the past year and a half, most of whom have not been replaced,” which in turn caused “a lack of understanding and involvement with member countries that ‘significantly contributed’ to a surge of cases in many countries in the region.”
The Japanese government has denied receiving sensitive vaccine information from Kasai. Staffers alleged the director has unethically received the information by abusing his position.
Koichiro Matsumoto, deputy Cabinet secretary for public affairs at Japan’s Prime Minister’s Office, said Japan “takes seriously the importance of maintaining equal access to coronavirus vaccines for all countries and regions” and that the nation’s government has been supportive of the UN’s cooperative COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts.
“There is no truth (to the allegation) that the Japanese government inappropriately accepted sensitive information related to our vaccine contributions,” Matsumoto said in January, per The Asia Shimbun.
Kasai denied the allegation in an emailed statement to AP.
“I ask a lot of myself, and our staff,” he said. “This has particularly been the case during the COVID-19 response. But it should not result in people feeling disrespected.”
Then, Kasai sent an email to senior staff directors and country representatives, ordering them to “reject” the allegations and “totally support” him.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced a probe into Kasai’s behavior had been opened in the days after the report’s publication.
In an email to regional staff on Aug. 26, Tedros said Kasai was on leave but did not give any specific timeframe for his return.
The Western Pacific division of the WHO oversees a large region that includes China and Japan.
Kasai, a doctor from Japan, has worked with the WHO for more than 15 years. Prior to his involvement with the organization, he worked in Japan’s public health system.
In his absence, WHO Deputy Director-General Dr. Zsuzsanna Jakab will oversee the organization’s operation from Manilla.
