Ethical Principles of Public Health

Ethical Principles of Public Health

The code of ethics for public health as developed by the American Public Health Association provides the fundamental values, beliefs and principles of ethical practice of public health. Public health is fathomed through these principles as what the communities, officials and institutions need to do to ensure that the conditions for people are healthy (The American Public Health Association, 2017). Based on the ethical principles provided by the association, the sixth code of ethics (principle) state that public health organizations or institutions should provide their communities with accurate information that they possess, and that is required for decisions on programs and policies and should obtain the consent of the community for their implementation. This principle of providing communities with information is vital in public health practice. Regarding public health services, the principle of collecting information aims at informing, educating and empowering people about health concerns or issues, especially those likely to impact them directly.

A public health situation in which this principle can be applied is the outbreak of a deadly disease, virus or bacteria that can kill many people. An example of such a situation is the current global coronavirus pandemic. In the present case, people need to be given a venue that provides them with information about the outbreak and the spread of the virus. In such health venues, they should be informed and educated about the spread of the virus and how they can protect themselves (Lee, Fisher & Jennings, 2016). An example of a health institution or avenue that should be charged with providing the information and education is the CDC. Through the institution, the public should be informed about the current statistics and emerging trends of the disease so that they can take care of themselves. The information should empower people to make decisions and should be tailored to at-risk populations such as the aged (Lee, Fisher & Jennings, 2016). As the information is passed and disseminated to members of the public, it builds knowledge and transforms attitudes around risk factors for contracting the virus. The report also allows people to make informed choices regarding their health and modify their behavior appropriate (Lee, Fisher & Jennings, 2016). In the current situation of the coronavirus, the information provided by the CDC and other public health institutions has helped people change their social behavior and adopt cleanliness as a way of combating the virus..

Values and Beliefs Underlying Principles of the Ethical Practice of Public Health

The first value and belief which underly the principles of ethical practice of public health are that human beings have a right to the resources necessary for health (The American Public Health Association, 2017). In the framework of public health and the general health of humans, having the right to the resources necessary for health is probably one of the most significant components. The resources in question include all the healthcare facilities, funds, materials, personnel and anything else that helps the process of providing quality health.

The World Health Organization supports this underlying belief since it forms the very foundation and fabric of public health not just as a requirement but also as a fundamental human right (Rumbold, 2017). The WHO asserts that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of public health is one of the primary reasons for every person on earth. It, therefore, implies that humans should have access to all the resources required for proper and standard health without any form of discrimination or bias based on their race, sex, gender or social standing. The right to health for all human beings implies that every person should have access to the health services they need, where they need them and when they need them without suffering any financial difficulty (Rumbold, 2017). Defined in simpler terms, no person should get sick and die from that sickness because they are unable to access the health services required or because they are poor.

The world is currently fighting the coronavirus. The WHO has declared this virus a global pandemic, with more than 244,500 people infected and 10,000 deaths were reported. This is a substantial public health issue (Wang et al., 2020). But as governments and public health institutions put in measures to reduce new infections and deaths, some people are still not able to access resources required to curb the disease. There have been reports of people being turned away in hospitals because of inadequate testing kits or in some cases hospitals running out of nose masks, ventilators and other supplies needed by the patients to fight the virus (Wang et al., 2020). Such lack of resources goes against the very primary basis of the principles of the ethical practice of public health.