Top doc asks for apology

There is a well-known acknowledged standard of information sharing for public health purposes in Canada:

“Parties should mitigate possible risks of harm or injury as a result of stigmatizing communities or groups of individuals when disclosing information to the public or any third party user.”

It was with this principle in mind that the Department of Health and Social Services released information to the media about HTLV-1. We did not disclose exactly how many people are infected with HTLV-1, nor where they live. We expected the same adherence to these principles to be shown by the media, given the harm that would arise otherwise.

Yet in your Nov. 4 issue, you quoted an anonymous source who claimed that “the HTLV-1 virus started in Clyde River.” As your reporter was told, until a territory-wide seroprevalence study has been completed, the extent of the presence of HTLV-1 in Nunavut is unknown.

Your article has already resulted in the stigmatization of the community of Clyde River. Residents there have, since the allegation was published, been met with scorn when traveling to other communities.

Nunatsiaq News owes the community an apology for your poor judgment, as well as a commitment to all Nunavummiut that you will not behave in such an irresponsible manner in future.

Dr. Isaac Sobol
Chief Medical Officer of Health
Government of Nunavut