scholarly journals Protecting privacy in mandatory reporting of infectious diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives from a developing country

2021 ◽  
pp. medethics-2021-107372
Author(s):  
Gürkan Sert ◽  
Ertunç Mega ◽  
Ayşegül Karaca Dedeoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Mandatory Reporting ◽  
Disease Notification

Mandatory reporting of infectious diseases (MRID) is an essential practice to prevent disease outbreaks. Disease notification is a mandatory procedure for most infectious diseases, even during non-pandemic periods in healthcare. The main rationale behind MRID is the protection of public health. The information and data provided by infectious disease reports are used for many purposes, such as preventing the spread and potential negative impact of infectious diseases, assessing the national and global situation regarding reported diseases, conducting scientific research and planning health policy. In this context, the relevant information benefits public health, health systems and scientific work. Additionally, the follow up and treatment of individuals with infectious diseases is a necessity in certain cases to protect those who cohabit with them. However, these benefits cannot be accepted as unrestricted justifications for MRID, since it is evident that reporting should be conducted within ethical and legal boundaries. MRID should only be devised and implemented with due regard to balancing potential benefits between all individuals, as well as between the individual and the rest of society. Disease notification systems that are not designed with a balancing and harm-reductionist approach may lead to stigmatisation and discrimination. This study aims to investigate the legal framework and ethical issues regarding the reporting of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in Turkey—which is a primary example of a developing country.

Biosecurity and Public Health Ethics Issues Raised by Biological Threats

2019 ◽  
pp. 773-785
Author(s):  
Nicholas Evans ◽  
Thomas Inglesby
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Biological Weapon ◽  
Ethical Values ◽  
Dual Use ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Trade Offs

This chapter introduces ethical issues that arise in the context of biosecurity: policies and actions intended to prevent the development or emergence, or mitigate the consequences, of serious biological threats. These threats could include deliberate biological weapon attacks (bioterrorism), pandemics, emerging infectious diseases, or major laboratory accidents. The basic values that underpin these public health concerns are first introduced. Ethical issues that arise before, during, and following a biosecurity crisis are then examined, including issues of resource allocation, dual-use research, and the possibility of quarantine. Their resolution requires trade-offs among different ethical values, including utility, fairness, and liberty.

scholarly journals A New Era of Epidemiology: Digital Epidemiology for Investigating the COVID-19 Outbreak in China

10.2196/21685 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. e21685
Author(s):  
Zonglin He ◽  
Casper J P Zhang ◽  
Jian Huang ◽  
Jingyan Zhai ◽  
Shuang Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Digital Epidemiology

A novel pneumonia-like coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 has swept across China and the world. Public health measures that were effective in previous infection outbreaks (eg, wearing a face mask, quarantining) were implemented in this outbreak. Available multidimensional social network data that take advantage of the recent rapid development of information and communication technologies allow for an exploration of disease spread and control via a modernized epidemiological approach. By using spatiotemporal data and real-time information, we can provide more accurate estimates of disease spread patterns related to human activities and enable more efficient responses to the outbreak. Two real cases during the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrated the application of emerging technologies and digital data in monitoring human movements related to disease spread. Although the ethical issues related to using digital epidemiology are still under debate, the cases reported in this article may enable the identification of more effective public health measures, as well as future applications of such digitally directed epidemiological approaches in controlling infectious disease outbreaks, which offer an alternative and modern outlook on addressing the long-standing challenges in population health.

Nanomaterials Useful in Health and Medicine to Improve Public Health

2021 ◽  
pp. 49-74
Author(s):  
Manish Kumar Dwivedi ◽  
Suvashish Kumar Pandey ◽  
Prashant Kumar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Drug Delivery Systems ◽  
High Stability ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
High Specificity ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Novel Drug

In modern research, nanotechnology is a very attractive technology and helps to reduce infectious diseases. Nanoparticles have gained significantly more important than the bulk counterparts due to their unique properties. This chapter gives knowledge about the general introduction of nanoparticles with classification and also discussed the effect of nanoparticles impact on public health. Nanotechnology is most widely used to reduced different types of infectious diseases such as bacterial, viral, parasitic diseases, etc. Nanotechnology is applied to detect different types of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and other diseases. Nanotechnology is a useful technique to develop novel drug delivery systems due to their high specificity, high drug-carrying capacity, and high stability. Nanotechnology can be able to improve human health but on the other hand, we have seen a negative impact on human health and environmental health. The solubility and toxicity of nanoparticles is a major issue worldwide.

scholarly journals A New Era of Epidemiology: Digital Epidemiology for Investigating the COVID-19 Outbreak in China (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zonglin He ◽  
Casper J P Zhang ◽  
Jian Huang ◽  
Jingyan Zhai ◽  
Shuang Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Face Mask ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Digital Epidemiology

UNSTRUCTURED A novel pneumonia-like coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 has swept across China and the world. Public health measures that were effective in previous infection outbreaks (eg, wearing a face mask, quarantining) were implemented in this outbreak. Available multidimensional social network data that take advantage of the recent rapid development of information and communication technologies allow for an exploration of disease spread and control via a modernized epidemiological approach. By using spatiotemporal data and real-time information, we can provide more accurate estimates of disease spread patterns related to human activities and enable more efficient responses to the outbreak. Two real cases during the COVID-19 outbreak demonstrated the application of emerging technologies and digital data in monitoring human movements related to disease spread. Although the ethical issues related to using digital epidemiology are still under debate, the cases reported in this article may enable the identification of more effective public health measures, as well as future applications of such digitally directed epidemiological approaches in controlling infectious disease outbreaks, which offer an alternative and modern outlook on addressing the long-standing challenges in population health.

scholarly journals Emerging viral infectious disease threat: Why Tanzania is not in a safe zone

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chacha D. Mangu ◽  
Christina K. Manyama ◽  
Henry Msila ◽  
Lwitiho Sudi ◽  
Godlove Chaula ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Early Response ◽  
Emerging Diseases ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Viral Infectious Disease ◽  
The Government

Emerging diseases are global threat towards human existence. Every country is exposed to potentially emergence of infectious diseases. Several factor such as changes in ecology, climate and human demographics play different roles in a complex mechanism contributing to the occurrence of infectious diseases. Important aspects towards control in case of outbreaks are surveillance, preparedness and early response. Tanzania should therefore take opportunity of the calm situation currently present, to prepare. Except for HIV/AIDS, Tanzania has not experienced a major public health threat. However, the question is, is the country safe from emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases? In this article we try to explore the danger of emerging infectious disease (EID) epidemics in Tanzania and the risks attached if an outbreak is to occur. The aim is to formulate recommendations to the government, responsible authorities and general population of what can be done to improve the level of EID preparedness in the country. In conclusion, it is important to strengthen the capacity of community and healthcare staffs on how to respond to potential infectious disease outbreaks. Community-based surveillance systems should be incorporated into the national systems for early detection of public health events. It is also critical to enhance one health approach to increase cross-sectoral information sharing, surveillance and interventional strategies as regards to preparedness and response to disease outbreaks.

scholarly journals Using typing techniques in a specific outbreak: the ethical reflection of public health professionals

2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (7) ◽  
pp. 1431-1436 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. RUMP ◽  
C. CORNELIS ◽  
F. WOONINK ◽  
J. VAN STEENBERGEN ◽  
M. VERWEIJ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Health Benefit ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Scientific Uncertainty ◽  
Outbreak Management ◽  
Relational Patterns ◽  
The People ◽  
Explicit Consent ◽  
Governmental Intervention

SUMMARYTyping techniques are laboratory methods used in outbreak management to investigate the degree to which microbes found within an outbreak are related. Knowledge about relational patterns between microbes benefits outbreak management, but inevitably also tells us something about the relational patterns of the people hosting them. Since the technique is often used without explicit consent of all individuals involved, this may raise ethical questions. The aim of this study was to unravel the complex ethical deliberation of professionals over the use of such techniques. We organised group discussions (n = 3) with Dutch outbreak managers (n = 23). The topic list was based on previously identified ethical issues and discussions were analysed for recurrent themes. We found that outbreak managers first and foremost reflect on the balance of individual harm with public health benefit. This key question was approached by way of discussing four more specific ethical themes: (1) justification of governmental intervention, (2) responsibility to prevent infections, (3) scientific uncertainty and (4) legal consequences. The themes found in this study, rephrased into accessible questions, represent the shared ethical understanding of professionals and can help to articulate the ethical dimensions of using molecular science in response to infectious disease outbreaks.

scholarly journals Invasive meningococcal disease with fatal outcome in a Swiss student visiting Berlin

2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (45) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Zuschneid ◽  
A Witschi ◽  
L Quaback ◽  
W Hellenbrand ◽  
N Kleinkauf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Meningococcal Disease ◽  
National Level ◽  
Fatal Outcome ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Invasive Meningococcal Disease ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Disease Notification ◽  
Public Health Action

Following the fatal invasive meningococcal disease in a Swiss student who had been visiting Berlin, several public health institutions on local, regional and national level cooperated to ensure that the appropriate measures such as contact tracing and post exposure prophylaxis were taken to prevent further cases. The incidence highlighted the importance of early disease notification and showed that if an infectious disease requiring public health action occurs in an international context, it is vital that relevant information is communicated to all levels of the public health systems of the countries involved.

scholarly journals PO 8460 PANDORA-ID NET (PAN-AFRICAN NETWORK FOR RAPID RESEARCH, RESPONSE, RELIEF AND PREPAREDNESS FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES EPIDEMICS)

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (Suppl 3) ◽  
pp. A40.2-A40
Author(s):  
Francine Ntoumi ◽  
Francine Zumla ◽  
Giuseppe Ippolito ◽  
Francesco Vairo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Rapid Diagnostics ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Zoonotic Infections ◽  
Pan African

BackgroundNew and re-emerging infectious disease outbreaks continue to cause much human suffering and loss of life worldwide. Since Africa has experienced repeated outbreaks of zoonotic infections, an important need exists to improve local and regional capacities to identify and respond to zoonotic outbreaks. PANDORA ID-NET is an EDCTP-supported ‘ONE Human and Animal HEALTH’ multidisciplinary consortium of 24 partner institutions (15 African and 9 European) in 9 African and 4 European countries.MethodsOur overall aim is to strengthen regional and pan-African capacities and systems for enabling a rapid and effective response to infectious diseases with epidemic potential, arising from within Africa or imported from overseas. We aim to build laboratory and public health capabilites for rapid detection and surveillance of pathogens from human and animal sources. This will include obtaining accelerated evidence for optimal clinical management of patients, infection control measures, and public health response during outbreaks. Capacities will be built: a) for performing multisite clinical trials (evaluating rapid diagnostics, biomarkers, a range of treatments, vaccines and operational research studies) and, b) for timely collection, analysis and communication of information.ConclusionOur activities will be aligned to EDCTP regional Networks of Excellence, Africa CDC and other relevant global and regional initiatives, thus maximizing complementarity and achieving a multiplier effect, facilitating rapid policy implementation of outputs.

scholarly journals 新冠瘟疫蔓延時的「知情同意」原則

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-88
Author(s):  
Ellen Y. ZHANG
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Informed Consent ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Civil Liberties ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Common Morality ◽  
Individual Autonomy ◽  
Individual Rights ◽  
Middle Point ◽  
Health Crisis

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.本文就此次爆發的心冠病毒疸疫，探討中國在對抗疫情過程中所帶出的幾個倫理議題，尤其是如何把握傳染病突發處理中「知情同意」的倫理原則。根據世界衛生組織的規定，「知情同意」意指有行為能力的個體根據充分的相關信息採取行動的主動權，這個行動不能受到強制或謗導。然而在疫情突發時期，知情同意所涵蓋的諸如知情、能力、自願等原則在公共衛生受到挑戰之時也會受到一定的限制。如何在個人自主、個人權利與公共衛生、公共利益之間找到平衡？如何在最低限度的道德言語中找到共同的道德原則，這是疫情中值得探討的倫理議題。本文從世衛《傳染爆發倫理問題指南》出發，對其具 體的倫理原則進行分析，並將其原則放在此次爆發的疫情情境中加以説明，刨析這些原則在具體操作上的困境。作者最後試圖從儒家倫理學的角度闡述如何在東方的「家長主義式干預」和西方的「個體自主式不干預」中找到平衡點，如何在保護公民權利與保證公共衛生中找到平衡點。This paper addresses the question of informed consent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Informed consent is “the process in which a competent individual authorizes a course of action based on sufficient relevant information, without coercion or undue inducement” (WHO, 2016). However, informed consent based on disclosure, capacity, and voluntariness has been seriously challenged during the public health crisis we are facing today. How should we resolve the ethical conflict between individual autonomy and individual rights and public health and public good? How should we attain social consensus through “the minimum grammar” of common morality? In this paper, I first introduce the WHO’s “Guidance for Managing Ethical Issues in Infectious Disease Outbreaks” (2016) and its seven basic principles: justice, beneficence, utility, respect for persons, liberty, reciprocity, and solidarity. I then explain how those principles could face challenges in implementation during the pandemic, as there will always be tensions between individual rights, state interference, and health paternalism. Finally, I explore from a Confucian perspective the possibility of seeking the “middle point” between paternalism and individual autonomy, and between civil liberties and public health.DOWNLOAD HISTORY | This article has been downloaded 26 times in Digital Commons before migrating into this platform.

Architecture of the Chilean Epidemiologic Surveillance System for Mandatory Reporting of Infectious Diseases: EPIVIGILA (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Taramasco ◽  
Carla Rimassa
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Living System ◽  
Mandatory Reporting ◽  
The Public ◽  
Database Construction ◽  
Epidemiologic Surveillance ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
National Norms

UNSTRUCTURED Epidemiologic surveillance incorporates technology to provide safe, fast and trustworthy digital solutions for the control of public health and is especially efficacious in the Mandatory Reporting of Infectious Diseases. These are listed according to international agreements and national norms. The enforceability of the declaration must be accompanied by adequate processes for a timely, clear, sure and true way, from the start when a consultant is met by a health professional (notifier) until the declaration is reported to the Health Authority so as to make decisions which will impact the public health of a territory. Among the processes used to fulfill this declaration are the manual mode or a totally technologized method. The aggressive propagation force of some diseases imposes incorporating technological advances to provide information in real time, so a manual method is discarded as it is absolutely inefficient. The purpose of this article is to describe the architecture of the EPIVIGILA platform for Mandatory Reporting of Infectious Diseases, detailing the database construction process, its technologic analysis and its impact in the control of Chilean public health. EPIVIGILA’s strengths are the quality of its data and therefore the credibility of the provided information. This is achieved by a set of validations that decrease or annul possible errors. Its usefulness is constantly tested, as new diseases or the re-emergence of others are unforeseeable and, therefore, as a living system, it requires a recursive, progressive and constant learning process.

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