Policy briefing17th May 2022

Ethics tools for decision-makers: Responding to public health threats

Drawing on our in-depth work on public health ethics, we have published ethics tools to help decision-makers develop a proportionate response to public health threats.

Public healthCOVID-19Infrastructure and culture

Policy briefing (PDF)

Summary

• The state has responsibilities to enable people to live healthy lives and reduce health inequalities.
• There are no easy answers, but responses to public health threats can be guided by the values of reducing suffering, treating people with respect, and fairness.
• Options for public health interventions range from doing nothing to removing choice altogether.
• Decision makers should aim for a proportionate response that takes into account the nature and degree of the harm posed, the certainty of the evidence, the intrusiveness of the intervention, and the views of those affected.
• The application of each intervention is likely to generate further ethical questions and decision makers need to be alert to the need for transparency and accountability in decision making processes.