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In 2020, media reports and an independent investigation revealed one of the largest sexual misconduct scandals in the United Nations’ history, in which more than 50 women accused aid workers — including World Health Organization staffers — of sexual exploitation and abuse during the 10th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At last year’s World Health Assembly, WHO’s Dr. Gaya Gamhewage spoke at length about the organization's new policies for addressing sexual misconduct allegations. Gamhewage was appointed to lead a new unit investigating such claims in 2021.
In the final podcast episode from WHA 77, Devex Associate Editor Rumbi Chakamba is joined by Dr. Gamhewage to discuss the progress her department is making, the challenges faced, and the lessons other agencies and nongovernmental organizations can learn from WHO.