The World Health Organization said Wednesday it has terminated the contract of the Japanese chief of its Western Pacific office after an internal investigation "resulted in findings of misconduct."

The WHO did not release details, but Takeshi Kasai had been suspended as regional director for the Western Pacific since August after allegations of racist and abusive behavior toward staff members at his office in Manila.

The Geneva-based U.N. health body launched a formal investigation into the allegations, which were first reported by The Associated Press in January 2022. The decision to dismiss Kasai came after closed-door meetings of the Western Pacific Regional Office last month and the Executive Board earlier this week.

According to the AP report, an internal complaint filed by current and former staff in October 2021 described a "toxic atmosphere" with "a culture of systemic bullying and public ridiculing" at WHO's Western Pacific headquarters in the Philippine capital.

Kasai's authoritarian style led to the departure of more than 55 key staff members, and he was also accused of having made derogatory remarks based on nationality, the AP report said.

After the reporting came out, Kasai confirmed to Kyodo News through his office that he had treated his subordinates harshly, but denied involvement in any discrimination based on specific nationalities.

Zsuzsanna Jakab, a deputy director-general of the U.N. entity who has already stepped in as Kasai's interim replacement, will serve as acting regional director until a successor is elected. The election process is due to start next month and the new director should not take office before next February.

Kasai was appointed as regional director for the Western Pacific for a five-year term in February 2019. The Japanese doctor has worked for the WHO in various positions for nearly 20 years, according to the organization.

There are six WHO regional offices. The regional office for the Western Pacific is located in Manila and covers almost 1.9 billion people across 37 countries and areas, including Japan, China and Australia.

==Kyodo

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