Disasters present ethical challenges because they are sudden and affect many people all at once. For example, the need to respond quickly can lead to the neglect of individual rights in the interest of protecting the community. And a lack of coordination among the many agencies and nongovernmental organizations that rush to the scene can exacerbate problems rather than relieve them.
This website provides a starting place for understanding common public health ethics issues in disasters. For each issue listed in the menu to the left, we tell you what it is, what makes it ethical, commonly cited guidelines and principles, and links to additional resources. |