Support for Indian HIV- World Bank Whistleblower

[Guest guest]

Coalitions Support HIV World Bank Whistleblower

by Murtagh

(Washington, D.C.) - The World Bank announced this month that it will

significantly reform standards, and that it will further investigate

disclosures involving the distribution of defective HIV/AIDS test

kits, mass purchased as part of a health care project in India. Dr.

Kunal Saha first informed the Bank's Department of Institutional

Integrity (INT) that HIV kits distributed by the World back were

defective.

Dr. Saha explained the World Bank corruption in a session of the

International Association of Whistleblowers (IAW) May 16, 2008.

He had gathered evidence that defective kits were purchased with

World Bank funds and supplied by the Indian government to hospitals

and blood banks across the country. The kits, distributed by

Monozyme, Ltd., gave 'false negative' results: HIV-contaminated blood

was not reliably detected by these kits and could therefore be

accepted for use in transfusions.

The National AIDS Control Organization of India (NACO), which works

with the Bank, stated to the Indian press:

" The documents cited by Dr. Saha have been reviewed by Dr.

, associate Director, Coordinating Centre for Health and

Information Services, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, USA

who is also of the view that there is no evidence of use of poor

quality HIV test kits in India and his allegations have no basis. "

This story did not hold up, and the World bank had to reverse itself:

" Dr. Saha's report should have raised red flags about a potential

public health emergency in India, " said Bea , International

Program Director at The Government Accountability Project

(GAP). " Rather than acting immediately to arrest the potential spread

of HIV through the World Bank project, however, the Bank instead

sought to use the CDC to conceal the fraud. "

Despite the public release of the INT report in January, the World

Bank's Kostermans told the Washington Post just last week that the

HIV test kits were not faulty. At the same time the Bank issued a

statement saying: " We take these indicators of fraud and corruption

extremely seriously. Working with the Indian authorities, we will

take action against those found responsible… " The Bank and the Indian

Government, which for the past year have strenuously fought to

conceal the fraud and the public health danger from the press,

patients and the public, are now supervising the investigation into

the corruption they tried to conceal and are assuming responsibility

for disciplining those who are culpable.

" This pledge is not credible " said . " The Bank always seems to

take corruption 'extremely seriously' when one of its projects is

challenged. Unfortunately, it does not follow through and take

action. "

attacked the Bank-CDC relationship: " Now that all the

information is in and we can see the whole picture, it appears that

the World Bank used the CDC in a health project cover-up.

How is it possible that the World Bank can so easily manipulate a

flagship public health agency of the U.S. government to smear a

medical expert and suppress news of a public health emergency? "

" The need for accurate testing for HIV is critical, especially

today, " stated health activist Dr. Murtagh. " There are even

pseudo-scientists attempting to convince the public that HIV does not

cause AIDs!

To release defective HIV kits only plays into the denial, and causes

public health to lose credibility in the eyes of the public. We need

true integrity, especially at the World Bank. That is why what Dr.

Saha has done is so important, and deserves widespread support. "

Dr. Saha's whistleblowing, together with the help of groups like the

Government Accountabilty Project, are the best possible way to bring

urgently needed reforms to the World Bank.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Coalitions-Support-HIV-Wor-by--

Murtagh-080615-646.html