This summer has appeared to bring a season of reckoning for a handful of male leaders at some of the world’s most influential organisations, which makes a change from the women beneath the world’s most powerful men being their scapegoats. One man, Karim Khan, the top prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, was removed from his role in July following allegations of improper sexual conduct and pressuring a junior clerk to drop her complaint. And Gianni Infantino is facing what looks likely to be an existential threat to his future as the FIFA President following his controversial plans to sell off stakes in the World Cup, a situation only made worse by his relationship with Donald Trump.
With the increased scrutiny of these two men, some will be wondering whom the world’s eye will turn to next. And many feel it should land on the top brass of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its director, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Under his leadership, the WHO has been plagued by allegations of financial mismanagement and improper use of funds by top officials, rounds of deeply unpopular job cuts, and many inside the organisation are raising concerns about the organisation’s ability to function properly under Dr Tedros’ watch.
Specifically, members of the South East Asian regional team have raised concerns that the organization has been without a permanent director for over a year. This followed Dr Tedros placing the SEARO Regional Director Ms Saima Wazed on administrative leave, citing allegations that she illegally acquired a plot of land five years ago in her home country. Ms Saima Wazed is the first Bangladeshi and only the second woman to hold this position, as well as being one of the first mental health experts to be elected to a regional director-level role.
In the meantime, the Human Rights Council and eminent legal experts expressed stern concerns about the legality of the proceedings in Bangladesh. The procedural deficiencies should have been evident to WHO as Ms Wazed was prosecuted and convicted in Bangladesh for allegedly absconding, even though at the time she had openly and continuously carried out her duties as WHO Regional Director. Finally, when the land was purchased in 2021, Ms Wazed was eligible for the land under the Father of Nation Family Protection Act of 2009, which was only repealed in 2026. Nevertheless, Dr Tedros inexplicably failed to reinstate Ms Wazed.
Dr Tedros’ unexplainable decisions have harsh consequences on the region. South East Asia has been battling a number of health-related issues, including the deadliest outbreak of measles in Bangladesh in decades, and lack of permanent leadership is affecting how the body can support national healthcare programmes, which is in turn costing lives. The Officer-in-Charge is leaving soon for a new position, and South East Asia will once again be facing a vacuum in healthcare support at the highest level.
The clock is ticking on Gianni Infantino’s future, and many will be hoping any replacement brings a fairer future to global football. Equally, there will be many at the WHO who are hoping the same accountability mechanisms that have challenged some of the world’s most powerful men will now force Dr Tedros to act, and restore fairness to the organisation. It is time for him to do the right thing for the people of the region and reinstate Ms Wazed.
