Philosophy and Ethics in Public Health

There are many definitions of public health, but the simplest is that public health is the constellation of actions that a society takes to enable people to enjoy good health and remain free of disease.

The goal of achieving a healthy society is intrinsically good, since it reduces disease, suffering and enables people to live longer, happier lives. These benefits have tangible benefits such as greater productivity and reduced spending on medical care.

While these goals are unarguably good, there is still debate as to how much money should be directed to public health when there is competition for limited resources, or whether the cost of a particular public health intervention justify the benefits. Other conciderations:

• What freedoms may be in conflict with the intervention?
• Do the benefits of interventions outweigh the potential for unknown risks?

Public health ethics involves the principals that guide us as a society in making descions about public health that conform to our morals and standards while resolving or minimizing conflicts.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss the philosophical justifications for public health
2. Discuss the moral conciderations for public health
3. Discuss the justifications for overriding interests such as freedom of action privacy and confidentiality in order to achieve public health goals
4. Explain the key questions that should be addressed when analyzing an ethical issue in public health
5. Define the "police power" and discuss the major precendents set by Jacobson v. Massachutsetts