 The world has been on high alert as swine flu has caused fatalities in Mexico and spread to other countries, which have scrambled to contain it before it becomes a global pandemic.
In Mexico City, for example, schools, museums, libraries and theaters have been closed. The United States has declared a national public health emergency, and other countries have taken vigilant measures.
While making the mobility of goods and services, and especially people, across border easier, globalization also transmits communicative diseases such as swine flu from country to country with no difficulty.
The swine flu outbreak is not the first public health emergency of the twenty-first century. For years, the world has been concerned about a possible avian flu strike.
However, this time, the world is not in a panic. In New York City where eight cases have been confirmed, life is still normal, though the development of swine flu is being closely monitored.
It is not because swine flu is less dangerous but because people have been empowered so that they know what symptoms to look for and how to fight against the disease. In the last several days, Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has appeared in all the network news programs, updating viewers as to the seriousness of the contagion as well as informing them that the United States will prevail in this public health emergency.
The swine flu case reminds us of what happened during the SARS eruption in late 2002 and early 2003 in China. At that time, the outbreak was intentionally concealed, which made the situation nearly out of control in China; the world was unprepared as well.
If SARS has taught the world a lesson, it is that information must keep flowing and people must be kept up to date. In the era of the Internet, it is more difficult to do otherwise, as rumors also could spread through the Internet and other communication tools.
It seems that China still has not overcome the mentality of not telling the truth. In the aftermath of the SARS outbreak, there have been a slew of public health crises in China – from foot and mouth disease to HIV/AIDS. And there have continued to be various sorts of cover-up.
In the run-up to host the Olympics, Beijing also intentionally hid the fact that infant milk formula had been contaminated with melamine for fear that the opportunity to showcase China could be ruined. The incident not only frustrated the Chinese but also ended up with loss of many young lives, which could have been avoided if Chinese parents had known what happened to their sick children.
Chinese media is extensively, even gloatingly, covering the swine flu that is occurring outside China. But it should have the same enthusiasm and responsibility in reporting any epidemic that erupts or breaks out in China. Diseases inevitably spread, but knowledgeable people can prevent them from spreading further by doing the right thing. Is Chinese media ready or allowed to do this?
* Picture: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=swine+flu&l=cc&ct=0 |
