WHO Dysfunction and Corruption

Nancy Loucas, Executive Coordinator of CAPHRA, told Planet of the Vapes: “Two years after Dr Kasai’s dismissal, WPRO remains plagued by dysfunction. Despite promises of reform, the office continues to prioritise bureaucracy over meaningful change. The injection of USD$30 million through WHO’s 2024 Investment Round risks perpetuating a broken system that fails to address the region’s most pressing health challenges, such as the deaths of millions in the combined regions from unsafe tobacco product use.” 

The consumer group says that while the appointment of Dr Saia Piukala as the first Pacific-born Regional Director in 2023 was seen as progress, it questions why WPRO has yet to deliver on its mandates. 

Loucas continued: “Noncommunicable diseases account for nearly 87% of deaths in the region, yet tobacco use and alcohol consumption are rising unchecked. Meanwhile, catastrophic health expenditures are driving 28% of Pacific families into poverty due to out-of-pocket costs.”

Loucas also raised concerns about broader corruption within WHO leadership, pointing to allegations in Bangladesh involving financial mismanagement and unethical practices by senior officials. 

“The issues in Bangladesh highlight a troubling pattern across WHO offices globally. Member states must ask whether their contributions are improving public health or shielding corrupt leaders,” Loucas added.

“Member states must demand transparency from WPRO and SEARO. Where is the promised internal audit into harassment cases following Kasai’s dismissal? Why are workplace reforms still incomplete two years later? And why is so much funding directed toward administrative costs rather than community-led health programmes?”

Loucas stressed that without independent oversight and civil society involvement, new funding risks enabling further governance scandals rather than solving critical health challenges.

“Until both SEARO and WPRO demonstrates genuine reform and accountability, every dollar risks enabling the next corruption crisis,” Nancy Loucas concluded.  

The Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Advocates is a regional alliance of consumer tobacco harm reduction advocacy organisations. The organisation says it is not related to, or funded by any commercial interests. It is composed of volunteer consumer advocates from the Asia Pacific Region. 

“We hope putting forward this information would clarify any doubt as to our interests and intentions,” says CAPHRA.

“CAPHRA stays committed to its mission to educate, advocate and represent the right of adult alternative nicotine consumers to access and use of products that reduce harm from tobacco use.  We advocate for the rights of consumers in the Asia-Pacific region to access and use evidence-based, regulated, and properly marketed harm reduction products as a means of reducing the devastating impact of smoking-related diseases.”

References: 

• CAPHRA response to the UN Special Rapporteur - https://www.caphraorg.net/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/2025-response_to_UNSR_THR-final.pdf 
• Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates - https://caphraorg.net/   

Photo Credit:

• Map image by Road Ahead on Unsplash, resized and cropped

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.