WHO Unveils Action Plan to Address Findings of Independent Commission on DRC SEA Allegations.
M2 PRESSWIRE-October 22, 2021-: WHO Unveils Action Plan to Address Findings of Independent Commission on DRC SEA Allegations
(C)1994-2021 M2 COMMUNICATIONS
RDATE:22102021
WHO today published itsManagement ResponsePlantoaddress the findingsof the Independent Commission (IC) onallegationsof sexual abuse andexploitation(SEA) during theresponse to the10thEbola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) following the issuing of the IC's report on 28 September.
"I amcommitted toensuringthatthe suffering of the survivors and their families is the catalyst for a profound transformation of WHO's culture", said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "This plan outlines the changes we will make as an organisation to make good on this commitment and to create a culture in which there is no opportunity for sexual exploitation and abuse to happen, no impunity if it does and no tolerance for inaction."
Theplanoutlinesshort-term actionsfocusing on the most urgent recommendations of the IC Report: supporting the survivors and their families; completing investigations; taking urgent managerial action and launching a series of internal reviews and audits; and reforming WHO structures and culture.The plan also describes the actions that WHO will undertake over the next 15 months to establish and operationalise a victim- and survivor-centered approach; ensure WHO personnel and leaders are accountable for prevention, detection and response to SEA; and initiate an overhaul of WHO's policies, procedures and practices to increase safeguards against SEA in its programmes and operations.
WHO is committed to providing livelihood support for victims and survivors ofSEA, including more comprehensive medical and psycho-social support; support for learning a trade, and resources to start a small business; as well as supporting children born as a result of SEA, through educationalgrants and the covering of medical fees.
Allegedmanagerialand potentialmisconductwill also continue to be investigated inrespectto thefailuretoinitiateinvestigationprocedures as described in the IC report.
WHO has also allocated an initial US$7.6million tostrengthen its capacity to prevent, detect and respond tosexual abuse allegations in ten countries with the highest risk profile: Afghanistan, the Central African...
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