Question

Discuss ethical issues affecting communicable disease and infection control.

Answer 1

Ans :

Ethical Issues affecting Communicable disease and infection control

• Communicable diseases receives only little attention in comparison with things like abortion, cloning,genetics etc. This is due to the fact that historical and potential future consequences of infectious diseases are almost unrivalled.
• Public health care measures such as surveillance, isolation and quarantine can be treated as a violation of basic human rights and liberties such as protecting privacy and freedom of movement.
• Optimism has given which made a belief that communicable diseases are no longer a dominant threat to global health.
• Individuals with infectious or communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis are often stigmatized(considered as a gisgrace to society).
• Complex nature of communicable disease makes diffuculty in treatment.
• They also involve issues of economic justice which is a central concern as burden is mostly heavily shouldered by the poor (in developing countries).
• The risk of healthcare workers,such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV, SARS etc.
• The need for the consistent application of guidelines what to do and what not to do.
• The concerns about the capacity of the public health systems.
• The practise of high-risk procedures in facilities lacking trained personnel, efficient laboratories and protective items.
• Gene therapy and its potential infectious complications.