2021-07-08
An independent audit of the WHO - how would that go?
It seems it did not go so well:
"The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India conducted the WHO audit for the 2020 financial year"
They found:
“an increasing trend of cases of misconduct, especially relating to fraud, harassment, non-compliance to professional standards and sexual misconduct”
"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" (surely they haven't been emulating UK Cabinet ministers?)
This article appeared in Business Wire in apparent collaboration with the 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".
The AHF, including remarks by its president, is exclusively quoted.
"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."
Personally I suspect that merely appointing another man at the top might stick a plaster over this festering political sore, but would do nothing to stop the progress of the underlying disease. Following up on the AHF view of the "disastrous missteps" and the reforms that the AHF deem necessary, I find this opinion substantially reinforced.
