Inside the 2003 SARS outbreak - who was really to blame?

NOTE: This documentary originally aired November 18, 2003

On November 23, 2002, officials with the World Health Organization attended an influenza conference in Beijing. And so began the story of the WHO and SARS – three crucial months before the disease was unleashed on the world. Disclosure takes a closer look at opportunities missed by the WHO.

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How did the word first get out about SARS? What role did the WHO play? They could have issued a global alert. They could have warned the rest of the world to screen travellers coming from Guangdong Province. But they didn’t. In the end, the WHO fell back on protocol.

Almost as quickly as the virus spread, the demand for answers grew. It was becoming clear the disease had been festering for months in southern China. Why had there been no warnings, no alerts? How was the virus allowed to escape to Hong Kong and from there to so many places around the world?

A steadfast and determined World Health Organization, fighting off a mysterious and deadly disease, all in the face of enormous Chinese secrecy … That’s the image the WHO has worked hard to cultivate. But take a closer look at the period before the SARS crisis and a very different picture images. The fact is, China and the WHO have had a close working relationship for years.

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Видео Inside the 2003 SARS outbreak - who was really to blame? канала CBC Docs