Let the truth prevail
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For his admirable candor during the 2003 SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) onslaught - when some local officials were trying to conceal the truth from us - Chinese Academy of Engineering member Zhong Nanshan is trusted implicitly. Particularly when it comes to matters pertaining to his domain - epidemic control.
So, when he expresses concern that some local authorities are underreporting deaths from Type A H1N1 influenza, we believe he is not crying wolf. And, share his worries.
At least the Ministry of Health has not denied his allegations. Instead, it vows to investigate those who attempt to cover up, lie, or postpone reporting of deaths due to the rampantly spreading disease.
Zhong's is a serious allegation. Under article 69 of the country's Law on Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, those found responsible for the spread of an epidemic, under serious circumstances, may be subject to criminal liabilities.
We only wish the Ministry of Health's pledge is also a serious one. We are not talking about credibility here, although public health authorities do have an unfinished task to repair their damaged credibility.
Right now, society's imperative No 1 is to have a clear picture of the proliferation of the virus. And the truth about deaths it is causing is a crucial part of such information.
In order to give the impression that they have done a good job containing the epidemic in their areas, some local officials might again resort to the cover up, Zhong said. How we wish that were just his mere suspicion.
Yet, given their records six years back, we cannot but be vigilant. After all, we are again facing a contagious disease about which our knowledge remains partial and largely untested.
At this point, we remain in the dark about the virus' ultimate potency and its feared potential for mutation. Without authentic data, informed decisions are out of the question.
With the anticipated peak infection season - during which hundreds of millions might become its victims - upon us, we are increasingly in need of accurate data to keep track of the epidemic situation in order to control its spread.
One immediate outcome of misinformation, however, will be the invalidation of all prevention endeavors.
It is, therefore, quite appropriate to say that knowingly withholding or distorting information will be a greater threat to public well being than Type A H1N1 influenza.
It seems getting rid of liars in public offices is more difficult than dealing with an epidemic.
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