Ethical guidance for the public health response to epidemics Dr. Abha Saxena Coordinator, Global Health Ethics

Epidemic Preparedness Planning

Ebola epidemic

Issues related to research

Problem Statement

Meeting in Dublin

Process

Meeting in Dublin Thirteen thematic issues Issues addressed at a high level of generality No clear guidance on how to implement in concrete situations When are mandatory restrictions the “least restrictive alternative”? When is it appropriate to collect biological specimens without obtaining informed consent? When is it appropriate – or not appropriate – to direct scarce resources to vulnerable populations when doing so will result in the faster depletion of those resources? Lack of consensus on few specific issues Guidance in some areas is lacking

Translation of guidance Public health practitioners and policy makers find it difficult to translate normative guidance into action, and that further efforts are needed to help bridge this gap We need to learn from the translation of clinical guidelines

Relevant streams

Typology of epidemics

Ongoing work….

Next Steps