• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to footer

Opinion.org

#Opinion: opinion matters

  • Sponsored Post
    • Make a Contribution
  • About
  • Contact

WHO Chief Must Leave After Scathing Audit, Says AHF

June 28, 2021 By Opinion.org Leave a Comment

LOS ANGELES – A recent independent financial audit of the World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed “an increasing trend of cases of misconduct, especially relating to fraud, harassment, non-compliance to professional standards and sexual misconduct.” In light of the audit, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest provider of HIV/AIDS care globally, reiterates its earlier call for United Nations (UN) Member States not to re-appoint WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to a second term once his appointment concludes at the end of 2021.

The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India conducted the WHO audit for the 2020 financial year. It revealed that WHO signed consultancy contracts totaling $332.79 million. Among the numerous financial irregularities documented in the audit, the auditor cited an instance where the WHO bypassed its financial procedures and altered tender evaluation criteria, allowing it to award a $2.5 million contract to a less qualified consultancy firm.

According to the audit, the consulting firm which received the tender was engaged to assist the WHO with purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE). The auditor concluded that this constituted a conflict of interest, because the firm also provided assistance to the PPE supplier.

The audit findings underscore ongoing governance challenges within the WHO and a lack of transparency in its operations.

“We are astounded by the findings of the WHO audit. Financial malfeasance involving millions of taxpayer dollars is egregious enough, but when it’s happening in the middle of a pandemic, when millions of people are dying because they can’t get a vaccine, it’s nothing short of an outrage,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “This happened on Dr. Tedros’ watch—while he was pleading with Member States for more funding. What little credibility remained with the WHO leadership following disastrous missteps in handling COVID-19 has now gone out the window with this scathing audit and millions of dollars in useless consulting contracts. Without a doubt, WHO needs a new trustworthy leader.”

Other key findings highlighted by the auditor included deficiencies in the quality assurance and technical evaluation of PPE procured on an emergency basis, a lack of bid objectivity in the procurement of COVID-19 test kits, inadequate procurement documentation, and a lack of supplier performance evaluation, among other issues.

Historically, WHO has repeatedly blamed the lack of sustained funding from Member States as one of the key factors that precludes it from rapidly and adequately responding to outbreaks such as COVID-19. The misuse of existing funds will likely deal a further blow to WHO’s efforts to convince Member States to give it more money. At a time when wealth inequality among countries has drawn a stark line between vaccine haves and have-nots, the cost of this debacle will be tragically measured in lives lost to COVID-19. To restore credibility in the eyes of the donors and the world, WHO must appoint a new Director-General.

AHF has issued recent statements titled “Six Reasons Why WHO Chief Should Go” and “Ten Ways WHO Catastrophically Failed the World,” which outline additional arguments for not re-appointing Dr. Tedros to a second term as WHO Director-General.

AIDS HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.5 million clients in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare

Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: WHO

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

Recent Posts

  • Understanding the Concept of a Deep State
  • Bessent Urges Canada to Follow Mexico in Adopting China Tariffs
  • Europe’s Empty Words Will Not Save Ukraine
  • Zelensky Stands Firm Against White House Pressure
  • Shifting Trade Winds: The Uncertain Future of U.S.-China Economic Ties
  • Iran’s Strategic Dilemma After the Fall of Assad
  • The Unraveling of Putin’s Geopolitical Strategy in the Wake of Assad’s Fall
  • The Collapse of the Assad Regime: A Turning Point for Syria and the Region
  • Family of Journalist Dong Yuyu Condemns Espionage Conviction as a Grave Injustice
  • Putin’s Economic House of Cards: The Slow Collapse of a Despotic Gamble

Media Partners

  • Exclusive Domains
  • Press Media Release
  • Briefly
  • OPINT
  • VPNW
  • S3H
  • PressClub.US
  • Israel News

Media Partners

  • Technology Conferences
  • Event Sharing Network
  • Defense Conferences
  • Cybersecurity Events
  • Event Calendar
  • Calendarial
  • Domain Market Research

Copyright © 2015 Opinion.org

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT