Why was public kept in dark for 8 months after first Zika case in India?

A lack of transparency on critical matters of public health can lead to a loss of trust in the govt

The first laboratory confirmed case of Zika in India was detected in a hospital in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on November 9, 2016. A further two cases were subsequently confirmed – one in January 2017 and another in February. None of these cases were reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) until May 15.

Why the government decided against publicly announcing these cases for nearly six months after first confirming them is unclear, but it reflects ongoing low levels of transparency in India’s public health system. Not surprisingly, India ranked second to last in a recent study