“For some reason the church has not talked about it, but we need to, ” he said, speaking by telephone Friday night on his way to South Africa for a mission trip.

Despite a 24/7 work schedule that has at times strained his marriage, Xuan says he will keep probing, looking for the truth and giving a voice to the voiceless in order to promote social progress.

But I was under oath, and of course, if I hadn’t done anything wrong, I couldn’t have been embarrassed.

In August, on the advice of the Emergency Committee set up under the International Health Regulations, I declared an end to the 2009 influenza pandemic.

One recent Wednesday Xuan raced to the city's northeast during the morning rush hour after a tip that a security guard in a residential compound had died suddenly.