Against the Public Goods Conception of Public Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-233
Author(s):  
Justin Bernstein ◽  
Pierce Randall

Abstract Public health ethicists face two difficult questions. First, what makes something a matter of public health? While protecting citizens from outbreaks of communicable diseases is clearly a matter of public health, is the same true of policies that aim to reduce obesity, gun violence or political corruption? Second, what should the scope of the government’s authority be in promoting public health? May government enact public health policies some citizens reasonably object to or policies that are paternalistic? Recently, some theorists have attempted to address these questions by arguing that something is a matter of public health if and only if it involves a health-related public good, such as clean water or herd immunity. Relatedly, they have argued that appeals to the promotion of public health should only be used to justify the provision of health-related public goods. This public goods conception of public health (PGC) is meant to enjoy advantages over its rivals in three respects: it provides a better definition of public health than rival views, it respects moral disagreement, and it avoids licensing objectionably paternalistic public health policies. We argue, however, that the PGC does just as poorly, or worse, than its rivals in all three respects.

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824402096277
Author(s):  
Leena Eklund Karlsson ◽  
Anne Leena Ikonen ◽  
Kothar Mohammed Alqahtani ◽  
Pernille Tanggaard Andersen ◽  
Subash Thapa

In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), no studies have been documented to analyze the equity aspects of public health policies. The aims of the study were to identify policy documents in the KSA relevant to public health and to explore whether these include an equity approach. Twenty health-related documents were identified from various ministries’ websites and analyzed through directed content analysis. The results showed that the term “equity” was neither defined nor explained in the documents and suggestions on how to tackle health inequities were lacking. None of the suggested measures communicated an explicit focus on promoting health equity or the social gradient. Several upstream, midstream, and downstream measures were suggested to improve justice and public health for the people. The study reveals that there is a need for an in-depth assessment of the policy measures across sectors and their influence on health equity to inform future health policy development and action in the KSA.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Vilarinho ◽  
A Amorim ◽  
C Fé ◽  
O Cardoso

Abstract Aim Report of the ascending, collective and participative process of construction of the Strategic Action Plan of the State Secretariat of Health of Piauí for the period from 2020 to 2023 and its compatibility with the Planning and Management Instrument of the State of Piauí - PPA (Plano Pluri Yearly). Action developed for the Institutional Development Program of SUS. We sought consistency and compatibility for health needs and Government priorities, implementing public health policies, technical, operational and financial feasibility and feasibility, impact and improvement in living conditions and health of the population, reducing inequalities, expanding the access to inclusive health policies, increase in citizen's life expectancy and life expectancy at birth. Methods Workshops, with technical staff from the Health Secretariat and the State Planning Secretariat, using the Situational Strategic Planning-PES, in addition to the Balanced Scorecard, and the SWOT Matrix. The SESAPI Strategic Map was previously built, with priorities for the identification of plans and results oriented to the goals. Results The SWOT Matrix focused on analyzing the environment or scenarios, internal and external, with strategies to maintain strengths, reduce the intensity of weaknesses, use opportunities and protect against threats. The technical health priorities were legitimized and made compatible with the State Planning Secretariat, in Workshops with Social Representations of the 12 Regional Development Territories of the State. Conclusions The prioritized strategic actions embodied the definition of Budgetary Actions for the health area that conform to the LOA- Annual Budget Law, linking the estimated amounts to a set of indicators and desired and possible results to be achieved in the established period. The entire process was technically monitored and submitted to analysis and approval by the Social Control bodies in compliance with the provisions of the legislation in force. Key messages The prioritized strategic actions embodied the definition of Budgetary Actions for the health area and linked the estimated amounts to a set of indicators. All production has generated the formation of a government staff with managerial capacity to strategic planning and evaluation as part of training teams trained by the government.


2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 317
Author(s):  
Alessandra Conceição Leite Funchal Camacho ◽  
Maria José Coelho

ABSTRACTObjective: to examine the public health policies of the elderly in the references of the main databases from 2004 to 2008. Method: study of systematic review of literature conducted on databases of the Library of Health, in September 2008. For information analysis was organized the content found on the year, publication type and methods/techniques, content and essence of the production of knowledge, database, the authors' recommendations. Results: the references that were analyzed 26 and 10 in the database SCIELO, one in the BDENF and 15 in the LILACS. Conclusion: we observed an increase in publications dealing with professionals in health operationalized the public health policies of the elderly as the main recommendations bringing the development of public policies that take into account the specifics of the elderly, facilitating their access and that could reduce inequality. Mention the importance of visibility of the aging process and adequacy of public policies aimed at expansion of the strategies that have the caregiver as the leading subject. Descriptors: health public policy; aged; nursing.RESUMOObjetivo: analisar as políticas públicas de saúde do idoso nas referências das principais bases de dados de 2004 a 2008. Método: estudo de revisão de literatura sistemática realizada nas bases de dados da Biblioteca Virtual da Saúde, em setembro de 2008. Para análise das informações foi realizada a organização do conteúdo encontrado quanto ao ano, tipo de publicação e métodos/técnicas, essência do conteúdo e produção do conhecimento, base de dados, recomendações dos autores. Resultados: as referências analisadas foram 26 sendo 10 na base de dados SCIELO, uma na BDENF e 15 na LILACS. Conclusão: Verificamos um aumento de publicações que tratam de profissionais na área da saúde operacionalizando as políticas públicas de saúde do idoso trazendo como principais recomendações o desenvolvimento de políticas públicas que levem em conta as especificidades do idoso, facilitando o seu acesso e que possam reduzir desigualdades. Referem a relevância da visibilidade do processo de envelhecimento e adequação das políticas públicas visando à ampliação de estratégias que tenham o cuidador como sujeito principal. Descritores: políticas públicas de saúde; idoso; enfermagem.RESUMENObjetivo: analizar las políticas de salud pública a los ancianos en las referencias de las principales bases de datos de 2004 a 2008. Método: estudio de revisión sistemática de literatura sobre las bases de datos de la Biblioteca de la Salud, en setiembre de 2008. Resultados: las referencias que se analizaron fueron 26, tenendo 10 en la base de datos SCIELO, 01 referencia en la BDENF y 15 en el LILACS. Conclusión: se observó un aumento de publicaciones relacionadas a los profesionales de la salud en la práctica las políticas de salud pública de los ancianos con principales recomendaciones sobre el desarrollo de políticas públicas que tengan en cuenta las características específicas de los ancianos, facilitando su acceso y que podrían reducir la desigualdad. Mencionan la importancia de la visibilidad del proceso de envejecimiento y la adecuación de las políticas públicas con la ampliación de estrategias que tienen el cuidador como principal sujeto. Descriptores: políticas públicas de salud; ancianos; enfermería.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9866
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Nakamoto ◽  
Taketo Kawagishi

Considering that people can invest in their health-related quality of life (HRQOL), we investigate the effects of public health policies (i.e., a health investment subsidy policy and the direct distribution of health-related goods) on HRQOL in a small open economy. We find that when the government makes public investment in HRQOL temporarily, HRQOL deteriorates or does not improve at least. On the contrary, when public investment is enforced permanently, it improves in the long run.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 219-252
Author(s):  
A. Zhebit

The article is focused on the problem of human rights (HRs), limited or derogated from, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While addressing some HRs limitations, derogations and even abuses, and their consequent problems, the aim is to try to analyze policy, social, moral and personal dilemmas of HRs restrictions as well as motivations behind the types of public and social behavior, in the course of the pandemic, in response to the public measures of sanitation, social distancing and confinement, travel restrictions and social assistance, recommended by the WHO and selectively followed by governments. Learning from some old experience and deriving new lessons from the pandemic, as well as from public and social actions and reactions, the purpose of the present article is to assess whether or not public health policies in this context, implemented nationally or internationally, can promote change in the HRs paradigm in the face of the existing dilemmas and dichotomies in HRs, aggravated by the pandemic. The conclusion is that the extant HRs paradigm should be redefined to address better the political, social, economic, environmental and, especially, existential exigencies of “rainy times”, thus leading to the creation of a new universal HRs code or to harmonizing the existing one.


Author(s):  
Jyotismita Pathak ◽  
Mridusmita Das ◽  
Khalil Siddique

Background: Today, there is a pressing need to identify the proportion of people immune to the infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) so that public health policies can be formulated accordingly for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Keeping this in mind, we designed a serosurvey in Assam with aims to estimate the prevalence of infection as well as the infection to case ratio of the novel coronavirus in Assam.Methods: A total of 9 districts belonging to three different strata of districts were randomly selected for the study. In these selected districts, blood samples were collected from a sample of population and were checked for the antibodies (IgG type). Those testing reactive for the mentioned antibodies were considered to have been infected ever before the onset of the study.Results: A total of 2390 study subjects were tested for the presence of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2. The proportion of people harboring antibodies against the infection was found to be 23.7 percent.Conclusions: The serosurvey revealed that the proportion of people having antibodies was lower than that required for attaining herd immunity levels in a population. The case to infection ratios reveal that there is a large chunk of population who didn’t know about their infection.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theofilos Gkinopoulos ◽  
Christian T. Elbaek ◽  
Panagiotis Mitkidis

Beliefs in conspiracy theories are a major problem, especially in the face of a pandemic, as these constitute a significant obstacle to public health policies, like the use of masks and vaccination. Indeed, during the COVID-19 pandemic, several ungrounded explanations regarding the origin of the virus or the effects of vaccinations have been rising, leading to vaccination hesitancy or refusal which poses as a threat to public health. Recent studies have shown that in the core of conspiracy theories lies a moral evaluation component; one that triggers a moral reasoning which reinforces the conspiracy itself. To gain a better understanding of how conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19 affect public health containment behaviours and policy support, we analysed comprehensive data from the International Collaboration on the Social & Moral Psychology (ICSMP) of COVID-19, consisting of more than 50.000 participants across 67 countries. We particularly explored the mediating role of two levels of morality: individual and group-based morality. Results show that believing in conspiracy theories reduces adoption of containment health-related behaviors and political support of public health measures and that this relationship is mediated by the two levels of morality. This means that beliefs in conspiracy theories do not simply constitute antecedents of cognitive biases or failures, nor maladaptive behaviors based on personality traits, but are morally infused and should be dealt as such. Based on our findings, we further discuss the psychological, moral, and political implications of endorsement of conspiracy theories in the era of the pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Komaroff ◽  
A A Belhouchet

Abstract Background Was the world prepared to face the pandemic with a standard strategy? Objectives To evaluate the association between public health interventions against the COVID-19 outbreak and the outcome. Methods The observational study included data on incidence of confirmed COVID-19 cases (outcome) and public health non-pharmaceutical interventions (exposure) from five countries: France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and the USA, December 31, 2019 through April 12, 2020. The public health measures were grouped into five categories: lockdown, movement restrictions, public health measures, social (including social distancing) and economic measures, and use of facial mask. The multiple linear regressions were utilized to test the hypothesis that implementation of some public health measures was associated with the change in the incident number of COVID-19 cases, 2-sided, α = 0.05. Results The incidence of COVID-19 would be significantly greater without lockdown (1.89 times, p-value <.0001), public health and economic measures (25.17, p-value <.0001), and using masks (11.93, p-value=0.002), assuming that all other public health policies are the same. The effectiveness increases with earlier time of implementation. Among considered countries, South Korea was the most efficacious, where all measures were statistically significantly efficacious (p-value <0.05). Conclusions The findings demonstrate an association between public health measures and the outcome. The experience from South Korea should be studied further as the most effective non-pharmacological approach to fight the disease. This paper is the first step to develop the standardized approach utilizing the public health interventions to be applied effectively to the globe population. Key messages the most effective measures to control the COVID-19, and future outbreaks. The effect of particular measure varied by country and time of implementation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Débora Aparecida da Silva Santos ◽  
Pedro Vieira De Azevedo ◽  
Jullianna Vitorio Vieira De Azevedo ◽  
Telma Lúcia Bezerra Alves

O presente estudo propõe uma análise do caminho percorrido na relação entre as políticas públicas de saúde e do meio ambiente em um contexto amplo, através de uma revisão bibliográfica sobre o tema. A aproximação da temática ambiental com o movimento de promoção da saúde permite a ampliação na compreensão do processo saúde-doença. Essa proposta seleciona a integração entre os setores como condição para o estabelecimento e a execução de políticas públicas como maneira de garantir melhores condições socioambientais. Desta maneira, é indispensável uma discussão ampla da importância dos diversos atores sociais relacionados à saúde e ao meio ambiente, entendendo que a ação interdisciplinar através do reconhecimento das políticas públicas melhora a qualidade de vida da população e, consequentemente, contribui para uma sociedade mais equilibrada ecologicamente. Palavras-chave: Políticas públicas, Saúde, Meio ambiente, Saúde ambiental.TRAVERSING THE WAYS OF THE RELATION BETWEEN HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC POLICIES Abstract: This study presents an analysis of the path taken in the relation between public health policies and the environment in a broader context, through a literature review on the topic. The approach of environmental issues with the health promotion movement allows a broader understanding of the health-disease process. This proposal selects the integration across sectors as a condition for the establishment and implementation of public policies as a way to ensure better environmental conditions. In this way, a broad discussion of the importance of various social actors related to health and the environment is essential, understanding that an interdisciplinary action by recognizing the public policies improves people's quality of life and, consequently, contributes to a more balanced society ecologically. Key words: Public policies, Health, Environment, Environmental health.


2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Gorete Lucena de Vasconcelos ◽  
Sheyla Costa de Oliveira ◽  
Ednaldo Cavalcante de Araújo ◽  
Cleide Maria Pontes ◽  
Inez Maria Tenório ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTObjective: to analyze the social representation of teenagers pregnant on the feeding practices during pregnancy in a community from Recife city, Pernambuco, Brazil. Methodology: qualitative study whose population will be adolescents pregnant. The sampling is intended by the criterion of homogeneity wide. The clipping will be defined by empirical data saturation. As instruments for data collection will be used: a script of interview with closed questions, a script of interview with guiding questions and the use of photographs. Analyzes the data based on social representation, a social and cultural perspective. Results expected: expect it will get data on the knowledge of the magnitude of the problems in eating habits of adolescents during pregnancy subsidizing the public health policies, minimizing adverse effects on health and adolescent's health. Descriptors: adolescents; pregnancy; eating habits.RESUMO Objetivo: analisar a representação social de adolescentes grávidas sobre as práticas  alimentares durante a gravidez  em uma comunidade do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. Metodologia: estudo qualitativo cuja população será de adolescentes grávidas. A amostragem será intencional pelo critério de homogeneidade ampla. O recorte empírico será definido pela saturação dos dados. Como instrumentos para coleta de dados serão utilizados: um roteiro de entrevista com questões fechadas, um roteiro de entrevista contendo questões norteadoras e o uso de fotografias.  Analisaremos os dados à luz da representação social, numa perspectiva cultural e social. Resultados esperados: esperar-se-á, obter dados sobre o conhecimento da magnitude dos problemas dos hábitos alimentares das adolescentes durante a gravidez subsidiando as políticas públicas de saúde, minimizando efeitos adversos sobre a saúde da adolescente e do concepto. Descritores: adolescente; gravidez; hábitos alimentares.RESUMENObjetivo: analizar la representación social de las adolescentes embarazadas en las prácticas de alimentación durante el embarazo en una comunidad de Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil. Metodología: estudio cualitativo cuya población és de las adolescentes embarazadas. El muestreo es por el criterio de homogeneidad. El corte será definido por la saturación de los datos empíricos. Como instrumentos para la recogida de datos se utilizarán: un guión de entrevista con preguntas cerradas, un guión de entrevista con preguntas y orientar el uso de fotografías. Analiza los datos la luz de la representación social, una perspectiva social y cultural. Resultados: se esperan obtener datos sobre el conocimiento de la magnitud de los problemas en los hábitos alimenticios de las adolescentes durante el embarazo subsidiar la políticas de salud pública, minimizando los efectos adversos sobre la salud y la salud de los adolescentes. Descriptores: adolescência; embarazo; hábitos de alimentación.


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