Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Ethical Principles in Public Health
Ethical Principles in Public Health
Required reading:
Calman KC and Downie RS. Ethical principles and
ethical issues in public health. In: Detels R and
Breslow L, eds. Oxford Textbook of Public Health,
4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002,
pp. 387- 400
Principles of Health Care Ethics
Beneficence
the obligation of health care
providers to help people in need
Non-maleficence
the duty of health care providers to
do no harm
Principles of Health Care Ethics
(cont’d)
• Autonomy
the right of a person to choose &
follow his or her own plan of life &
action
•J ustice (or equity)
the ethical concept of treating
everyone in a fair manner
• Utility
maximizing the total benefits for
the populations involved
Issue to discuss: