WHO Workers Found To Have Abused Women During Congo Ebola Outbreak
An inquiry into the actions of World Health Organization workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo found some doctors and staff members sexually abused or exploited women. In other news, a wider non-virus impact of covid is reported in the deaths of women and children around the world.
The New York Times:
W.H.O. Workers Abused Women On Mission In Congo, Inquiry Finds
Doctors and other staff members working for the World Health Organization to render aid during an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo sexually abused or exploited women and girls there, a commission appointed by the head of the agency reported on Tuesday. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the agency’s director general, apologized directly to the victims — reported to number in the dozens — and promised to undertake “wholesale reform of policies and processes” to address exploitation and abuse in the organization. He said the agency was terminating the contracts of four people identified as perpetrators who were still employed with the agency and would refer allegations of rape to the authorities in Congo and in the home countries of those accused of misconduct. (Patel, 9/28)
In global news about the coronavirus —
Bloomberg:
Deaths Of Women And Children Show Wider Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic
Disruption to health systems in lower-income nations during the pandemic has caused an increase in deaths among women and children that’s more than double the toll from Covid-19, new research shows. The estimates highlight a crisis that’s threatening years of hard-fought progress in improving the health of women and children, according to the Global Financing Facility, launched in 2015 by the World Bank, United Nations and others. (Paton, 9/29)
Bloomberg:
Why The Philippines Became The Worst Place To Be In Covid
The monthly snapshot -- which measures where the virus is being handled the most effectively with the least social and economic upheaval -- ranks 53 major economies on 12 datapoints related to virus containment, the economy and opening up. The Philippines’ drop to No. 53 reflects the challenges it’s facing from the onslaught of the delta variant, which has hit Southeast Asia particularly hard amid difficulties containing the more contagious strain and slow vaccination rollouts. The region, which recently had the worst outbreak in the world, populates the September Ranking’s lowest rungs, with Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam all in the bottom five. (9/29)
Axios:
Vatican Orders All Employees To Get COVID Vaccine Or Weekly Testing
The Vatican City State said Tuesday that it will require all employees to provide proof of vaccination or documentation of a recent negative COVID test, the Washington Post reports. Pope Francis, who was vaccinated in January, has campaigned for people to get the shots, calling it a moral duty. Some Catholics, however, have argued for exemptions on religious grounds. (Chen, 9/28)
Roll Call:
Puerto Rico Governor Touts COVID-19 Success, Pushes For Medicaid Funds
Puerto Rico’s push for more federal Medicaid funding and its success in vaccinating residents were among the topics its governor discussed in a recent interview with CQ Roll Call. Unlike states, Puerto Rico receives capped Medicaid funding and is reimbursed at 76 percent of the health care program’s costs for the island territory’s residents. The continuing resolution would keep that rate, but without government action it would fall to 55 percent. A state in a similar situation would receive 83 cents on each dollar spent. (Raman, 9/29)
Bloomberg:
Anti-Vaxxers Interrupt U.K. Case Calling For End To Kids Vaccine
Anti-vaccine activists interrupted a U.K. court hearing over the roll out of the coronavirus vaccine to under 18s, demanding that vaccines for kids should be stopped. Three unidentified men barged into the hearing at London’s Royal Courts of Justice shouting “there is going to be no more vaccines for kids.” One man said there was “ex-military here” and yelled that the court room would be “going to the gallows.” A woman and her children who have not been identified have asked for a judge-led review of the U.K. government’s decision to vaccinate 12-17 year-olds. The claimants are also asking for an injunction to stop the vaccination program until a ruling is handed down. (Gemmell, 9/28)
