The Public Health Ethics Review Committee is composed of community members and professionals who meet to understand and deliberate on ethical issues relating to public health policies, systems, and operations. The committee uses the Public Health Code of Ethics as a framework to review actual and potential public health ethical dilemmas. After reviewing an ethical issue, the committee provides recommendations to Public Health staff, management, and community partners.
Some examples of issues this committee is likely to review include:
- How should Public Health allocate limited resources (such as vaccines or ventilators) during a pandemic?
- How should Public Health avoid actual or perceived conflict of interest when working with vendors?
- When should a person be isolated or quarantined to protect the health of others?
In order to have robust and meaningful deliberations, Public Health is particularly interested in participation from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
Ideal participants will be interested in ethical and/or public health concerns and ready to listen and share their thoughts while remaining respectful and engaged in the process. Participants will be expected to use good listening and critical thinking skills in discussions that may include viewpoints and topics that challenge their values. There is no education or experience requirement to participate in the committee -- this means we do not require any particular education level, experience in health, or previous familiarity with ethics. A training and practice session will be held for new members as needed.
You can find more information, including the charter and framework here: Public Health Ethics Review Committee.