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The Nuffield Council on Bioethics has published a briefing note on the ethical considerations relevant to the current Zika epidemic and measures to address the disease and associated risks in the affected areas and elsewhere.
The note outlines a ‘stewardship’ approach to the role of the state with respect to public health measures, and sets out general ethical considerations relating to the development of public health policies and interventions, including to manage outbreaks of infectious disease.
It then goes on to address a number of key issues in the context of the Zika virus, including:
- Surveillance and data sharing
- Public engagement and communication
- Research into vaccines and treatments
- Approaches to mosquito control
- Maintaining a proportionate response
The briefing note draws on previously published Council reports on public health ethics, research in developing countries, solidarity, biological and health data and the regulation of emerging biotechnologies.
Links
- Briefing note - Zika: ethical considerations: http://nuffieldbioethics.org/wp-content/uploads/NCOB-briefing-note-zika-ethical-considerations.pdf
- Report and other resources - Public health: ethical issues (2007): http://nuffieldbioethics.org/project/public-health/
- Report and other resources - The ethics of research related to healthcare in developing countries (2002): http://nuffieldbioethics.org/project/research-developing-countries/
- Report and other resources - Solidarity: reflections on an emerging concept in bioethics: http://nuffieldbioethics.org/project/solidarity/
- Report and other resources - The collection, linking and use of data in biomedical research and health care: ethical issues: http://nuffieldbioethics.org/project/biological-health-data/
- Report and other resources - Emerging biotechnologies: technology, choice and the public good (2012): http://nuffieldbioethics.org/project/emerging-biotechnologies/
- Nuffield Council on Bioethics website: www.nuffieldbioethics.org/
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The Editorial Team
24 May 2016
Thanks Carla for posting up these links. We will disseminate them through the Zika and ISARIC sites on the network - and then through our social media channels.
Kind regards -
Carla Saenz
23 May 2016
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO; WHO's Regional Office for the Americas) has published the report Zika Ethics Consultation: Ethics Guidance on Key Issues Raised by the Outbreak (available at:
http://iris.paho.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/28425/PAHOKBR16002_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y), which presents the guidance that resulted from the Zika Ethics Consultation convened by the PAHO on the issues that affected countries had previously identified as most ethically challenging in the context of the Zika virus outbreak. Ethical duties in the domains of health care delivery, public health activity, and research are explained.
The document is available at:
http://iris.paho.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/28425/PAHOKBR16002_eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y