[health-vn] Eleventh Futures Forum on the ethical governance of pandemic influenza preparedness

[Vern Weitzel]

Subject: 	[EQ] Eleventh Futures Forum on the ethical governance of
pandemic influenza preparedness
Date: 	Fri, 1 May 2009 09:55:07 -0400
From: 	Ruggiero, Mrs. Ana Lucia (WDC) <ruglucia at PAHO.ORG>
Reply-To: 	Equity, Health & Human Development <EQUIDAD at LISTSERV.PAHO.ORG>
To: 	EQUIDAD at LISTSERV.PAHO.ORG

*Eleventh Futures Forum on the ethical governance of pandemic influenza
preparedness*

*2008, iv + 28 pages  ISBN 978 92 890 7186 4 *

*WHO Regional Office for Europe-  Copenhagen, Denmark*

Available online PDF [36p.] at: http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E91310.pdf


“…..The Eleventh Futures Forum reviewed some countries’ experience in
applying ethical governance approaches to a major contemporary policy
concern for WHO and its Member States: preparedness for an influenza
pandemic. The topic provided a concrete policy-making example that
participants could use to discuss broader and more generic ethical
governance approaches in European health systems.

Decision-makers could face a number of key ethical questions in an
influenza pandemic, such as how to ensure equitable, fair and
cost-effective access to curative drugs, vaccines and medical treatment,
how to set priorities for treatment, and how to allocate resources to
prevent and treat influenza. The Forum aimed to enable the participants
to identify good practices, exchange and learn from experience in
ethically governing pandemic influenza preparedness and identify some of
the knowledge gaps.

This report describes the ethical considerations used in pandemic
influenza planning in the WHO European Region, WHO’s work on
incorporating ethical considerations in the development of such plans,
some possible guiding principles for ethical decision-making, the
ethical frameworks for pandemic influenza planning in three countries
(Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), national decision-making
structures for planning and response (with a case study from Belgium),
the issue of public participation in ethical questions in pandemic
influenza preparedness, and the Forum’s conclusions…..”.

*Content:*

Introduction.

1. Pandemic influenza planning in countries .

2. Ethical considerations in developing a public health response to
pandemic influenza: the work of who.

3. Principles for ethical decision-making in pandemic influenza planning.

4. National provisions for ethical decisions in influenza pandemic
planning and response.

5. National decision-making structures on pandemic influenza planning
and response.

6. Endorsing ethical principles through public involvement .

7. Conclusions and recommendations .
References.