Women are key in Ebola response

The current Ebola outbreak in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the tenth in the country since the disease was identified there in 1976, and the largest they have experienced.

Response efforts have been complicated by insecurity and armed conflict. Another challenge is how this outbreak has disproportionately affected women in some of the cities and towns, though not all.

To face this challenge, local women have taken a leadership role in explaining the disease, and learning how to stop its spread.

As of end-January 2019, there have been over 700 cases of Ebola in DRC, of which about two-thirds are women. Historically, Ebola tends to affect women and men at about the same rate.

risk managements

In case of violation of the Policy, WHO may decide to:

• terminate any contract with the contractor or collaborator immediately upon written notice to the contractor or collaborator, without any liability for termination charges or any other liability of any kind; and/or
• exclude the contractor or collaborator from participating in any ongoing or future tenders and/or entering into any future contractual or collaborative relationships with WHO.
  
  WHO shall be entitled to report any violation of the above-mentioned provisions to WHO’s governing bodies and other UN agencies.

Promoting compliance, risk management and ethics

The WHO Office of Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics (CRE) promotes transparency and management of corporate-level risk, within the framework of WHO’s ethical principles.

To this end, CRE promotes the practice of the ethical principles derived from the international civil service standards of conduct for all WHO staff and associated personnel.

CRE provides clear and action-oriented advice in a secure and confidential environment where individuals can freely consult on ethical issues. The aim is to help individuals in performing their duties professionally and fairly, and to manage their personal affairs in a way that does not interfere with their official responsibilities.

The Office of Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics (CRE) offers the following services:

• Confidential ethics advice
• Promotion of ethics awareness and education
• Promotion of ethics standards
• Protection of staff from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing
• Administration of declarations of interest for staff and external experts
• Authorization of outside activities

WARNING:

WHO would like to stress to all contractors and collaborators that WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse.

Each contractor and collaborator is expected to take all appropriate measures to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation or abuse of anyone by its employees or any other persons engaged by the contractor or collaborator to perform any services under the agreement with WHO. The WHO Policy on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Prevention and Response is publicly available.

Each contractor and collaborator is expected to refrain from, and to take all reasonable and appropriate measures to prohibit its employees and other persons engaged by it from engaging in any sexual exploitation or abuse as described in the Policy.

Each contractor and collaborator is expected to promptly report to WHO and respond to, in accordance with the terms of the Policy, any actual or suspected violations of the Policy of which the contractor or collaborator becomes aware.

The Office of Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics (CRE) offers the following services

• Confidential ethics advice
• Promotion of ethics awareness and education
• Promotion of ethics standards
• Protection of staff from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing
• Administration of declarations of interest for staff and external experts
• Authorization of outside activities

WHO would like to stress to all contractors and collaborators that WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse.

Each contractor and collaborator is expected to take all appropriate measures to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation or abuse of anyone by its employees or any other persons engaged by the contractor or collaborator to perform any services under the agreement with WHO. The WHO Policy on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Prevention and Response is publicly available.

Each contractor and collaborator is expected to refrain from, and to take all reasonable and appropriate measures to prohibit its employees and other persons engaged by it from engaging in any sexual exploitation or abuse as described in the Policy.

Each contractor and collaborator is expected to promptly report to WHO and respond to, in accordance with the terms of the Policy, any actual or suspected violations of the Policy of which the contractor or collaborator becomes aware.

In case of violation of the Policy, WHO may decide to:

• terminate any contract with the contractor or collaborator immediately upon written notice to the contractor or collaborator, without any liability for termination charges or any other liability of any kind; and/or
• exclude the contractor or collaborator from participating in any ongoing or future tenders and/or entering into any future contractual or collaborative relationships with WHO.
  
  WHO shall be entitled to report any violation of the above-mentioned provisions to WHO’s governing bodies and other UN agencies.

Ethics and health

Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Bioethics

The Global Health Ethics unit works together with the Global Network of WHO Collaborating Centres for Bioethics, which is a well-established network of institutions in different geographical locations and with relevant expertise in this field. These institutions represent a valuable resource as an extended and integral arm of WHO's capacity to implement its ethics mandate.

The Global Summit of National Bioethics Committees

The Global Health Ethics unit at WHO provides the permanent secretariat for the Global Summit of National Bioethics Committees.

An increasing number of nations have created official bodies to provide advice to their executive and legislative branches, and often to the general public, about bioethics. Termed "National Commissions", "Advisory Committees" and the like, they are appointed by Chief Executives, Ministers of Health, and legislatures, to analyse and offer conclusions and recommendations about current issues in bioethics, and the ethics of health more generally, especially as such issues bear on potential needs to develop national policies and to adopt legislation.

The Global Health Ethics Seminars Series (GHES)

The Global Health Ethics Seminar Series provides an opportunity to raise the issues, challenge the global community, debate and provide solutions on a common platform. The Wellcome Trust with its interest in global ethical issues, and the York University with its interest in the history of medicine and inter-sectoral linkages, are natural partners in this activity. The Global Health Ethics Unit is proud to host this series and be a part of this endeavor.

Better health for everyone, everywhere

We are building a better, healthier future for people all over the world.

Working with 194 Member States, across six regions, and from more than 150 offices, WHO staff are united in a shared commitment to achieve better health for everyone, everywhere.

Together we strive to combat diseases – communicable diseases like influenza and HIV, and noncommunicable diseases like cancer and heart disease.

We help mothers and children survive and thrive so they can look forward to a healthy old age. We ensure the safety of the air people breathe, the food they eat, the water they drink – and the medicines and vaccines they need.

The WHO Office of Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics (CRE) promotes transparency and management of corporate-level risk, within the framework of WHO’s ethical principles.

To this end, CRE promotes the practice of the ethical principles derived from the international civil service standards of conduct for all WHO staff and associated personnel.

CRE provides clear and action-oriented advice in a secure and confidential environment where individuals can freely consult on ethical issues. The aim is to help individuals in performing their duties professionally and fairly, and to manage their personal affairs in a way that does not interfere with their official responsibilities.

Research Ethics Review Committee

The Research Ethics Review Committee (ERC) is a 27-member committee established and appointed by the Director-General. Its mandate is to ensure WHO only supports research of the highest ethical standards. The ERC reviews all research projects, involving human participants supported either financially or technically by WHO.

While the majority of the committee consists of WHO staff, international external individuals are also appointed as committee members

Members bring with them valuable and extensive experience and knowledge in research in different fields, and receive appropriate training in research ethics before commencing their role within the ERC. The broad range of research expertise of Committee members, together with the ethics training, ensures that all proposals are thoroughly and fairly reviewed for ethical research conduct.

The ERC reviews and advises on research:

• fully or partially funded by WHO
• managed by WHO
• in which WHO is either a partner or collaborator.

The terms of reference of the ERC are defined by the WHO Manual and are operationalized through its Rules of Procedures.

The ERC is guided in its work by the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki (1964) last updated in 2013 as well as the International Ethical Guidelines for Biomedical Research Involving Human Subjects (CIOMS 2016). According to these guidelines, all research involving human subjects should be carried out in accordance with the fundamental ethical principles of respect, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice.

Promoting compliance, risk management and ethics

The WHO Office of Compliance, Risk Management and Ethics (CRE) promotes transparency and management of corporate-level risk, within the framework of WHO’s ethical principles.

To this end, CRE promotes the practice of the ethical principles derived from the international civil service standards of conduct for all WHO staff and associated personnel.

CRE provides clear and action-oriented advice in a secure and confidential environment where individuals can freely consult on ethical issues. The aim is to help individuals in performing their duties professionally and fairly, and to manage their personal affairs in a way that does not interfere with their official responsibilities.

• Confidential ethics advice
• Promotion of ethics awareness and education
• Promotion of ethics standards
• Protection of staff from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing
• Administration of declarations of interest for staff and external experts
• Authorization of outside activities

WARNING:

WHO would like to stress to all contractors and collaborators that WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse.

Each contractor and collaborator is expected to take all appropriate measures to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation or abuse of anyone by its employees or any other persons engaged by the contractor or collaborator to perform any services under the agreement with WHO. The WHO Policy on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Prevention and Response is publicly available.

Each contractor and collaborator is expected to refrain from, and to take all reasonable and appropriate measures to prohibit its employees and other persons engaged by it from engaging in any sexual exploitation or abuse as described in the Policy.

Each contractor and collaborator is expected to promptly report to WHO and respond to, in accordance with the terms of the Policy, any actual or suspected violations of the Policy of which the contractor or collaborator becomes aware.

n case of violation of the Policy, WHO may decide to:

• terminate any contract with the contractor or collaborator immediately upon written notice to the contractor or collaborator, without any liability for termination charges or any other liability of any kind; and/or
• exclude the contractor or collaborator from participating in any ongoing or future tenders and/or entering into any future contractual or collaborative relationships with WHO.
  
  WHO shall be entitled to report any violation of the above-mentioned provisions to WHO’s governing bodies and other UN agencies.