US, European Union Call For "Full Commitment" From WHO To Prevent Sexual Violence

Main donors the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Canada as well as the European Union made the appeal after dozens of women told investigators they were offered work in exchange for sex or were raped.

Western governments on Friday called for "full commitment" from the World Health Organization to prevent a repeat of rapes and sexual abuse allegedly committed by its workers sent to fight Ebola in DR Congo.

Main donors the United States, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Canada as well as the European Union made the appeal after dozens of women told investigators they were offered work in exchange for sex or were raped.

"We expect full commitment from the WHO to prevent and address such acts, including through fundamental reforms to the WHO," the governments said in a joint statement.

The UN health agency's member governments said that "we will ensure that the WHO leadership's commitments lead to accountability, increased capability, action, and swift change", calling for an "immediate, thorough and detailed assessment" of what went wrong.