‘Loophole’ excuses WHO officials accused of misconduct

By MARIA CHENG
AP Medical Writer

LONDON (AP) — A confidential U.N. report into the alleged missteps by senior World Health Organization staffers in how they handled a sexual misconduct case during an Ebola outbreak in Congo has found their response didn’t violate the agency’s policies because of what some officials described as a “loophole.”  The report was submitted to the WHO last month and wasn’t released publicly. It was obtained by the Associated Press. The WHO hasn’t publicly described the report’s contents. The U.N. investigation comes after a 2021 review by an independent commission found three WHO managers fumbled a sexual misconduct case first reported by the AP. The case involved a U.N. health agency doctor signing a contract to buy land for a young woman he reportedly impregnated.