• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • News
    • Global Health

    WHO includes sexual abuse prevention staff in new DRC Ebola response

    A recent report alleging abuse by WHO staff during the Ebola outbreak response in 2018 to 2020 at DRC recommended that a specialist on sexual exploitation and abuse prevention and response be deployed in future field emergency management teams.

    By Jenny Lei Ravelo // 11 October 2021
    A flag outside a building of the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo by: Denis Balibouse / Reuters

    The World Health Organization will include a focal point for the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse in supporting the Democratic Republic of Congo’s response to a new case of Ebola in the province of North Kivu.

    Sign up for Devex CheckUp
    The must-read weekly newsletter for exclusive global health news and insider insights.

    WHO will also ensure “mandatory pre-deployment training and refresher training” for any further staff deployment in the response, as well as setting up “reporting channels for alerts or complaints; prompt investigation of complaints; and monitoring” according to a news release.

    Why this matters: A recent report alleged 21 WHO staff were involved in sexual exploitation and abuse during the Ebola response in 2018 to 2020 in DRC. The report also revealed structural issues in WHO’s management of risks of sexual exploitation and abuse in its operations. One of the recommendations put forward by the independent commission behind the report was for WHO to include a specialist on sexual exploitation and abuse prevention and response in future field emergency management teams.

    What’s the context: WHO is supporting DRC’s health authorities in their investigation after the health ministry announced Friday a new confirmed case of Ebola in Butsili, an area near Beni, and one of the epicenters of the 2018 to 2020 Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo.

    New studies propose policy changes for Ebola vaccination in Africa

    The World Health Organization and the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention told Devex the findings of the studies are expected to bring about policy changes in the continent’s response to Ebola and including children in vaccination campaigns.

    The case was a 3-year-old child who died on Oct. 6. Two children who tested positive for malaria, and their father who died in September were neighbors of the confirmed case, and were also suspected of contracting Ebola — although no samples were taken for Ebola testing.

    A total of 148 contacts have been identified as of Oct. 9.

    According to WHO, there is a risk of Ebola spreading to other health zones. The three suspected cases and the confirmed Ebola case were admitted in health facilities where infection prevention and control measures “might not have been optimal.” Ebola burial protocols were also not conducted.

    • Global Health
    • Social/Inclusive Development
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Jenny Lei Ravelo

      Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo

      Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    Global HealthInside WHO's reforms: Progress, failures, and unfinished business

    Inside WHO's reforms: Progress, failures, and unfinished business

    Most Read

    • 1
      The power of diagnostics to improve mental health
    • 2
      Lasting nutrition and food security needs new funding — and new systems
    • 3
      Opinion: Urgent action is needed to close the mobile gender gap
    • 4
      Supporting community-driven solutions to address breast cancer
    • 5
      The top local employers in Europe
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement
    We use cookies to help improve your user experience. By using our site, you agree to the terms of our Privacy Policy.