Ethical aspects of pandemic public policy-making under uncertainty

• Pandemic public policy-making requires far-reaching decisions in the context of severe and dynamic lack of information. This policy brief breaks down the ethical challenge of pandemic public policy-making under conditions of uncertainty into understandable parts, and elaborates how these may be approached in practice. A pandemic usually implies uncertainty about the spread of the infection, about its impacts for people and society, and the effects of policy measures undertaken in response to the pandemic. A precautionary approach is required, but precautionary reasoning must consider practicality, non-arbitrariness, proportionality and justification. Pandemic public policy making under uncertainty should avoid paralysis by limiting the space for precautionary reasoning; balance both uncertain harms and uncertain benefits; avoid false certainty bias; decrease uncertainty, while minding the price of precaution; take into consideration legitimacy but also public opinion and feelings; set, disclose and communicate underlying ethical values and principles; monitor and re-evaluate decisions and consequences. This paper is intended for those making and advising public policy decisions, including ethicists.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Medicinsk etik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Medical Ethics (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Filosofi, etik och religion -- Filosofi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Philosophy, Ethics and Religion -- Philosophy (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation, hälsopolitik och hälsoekonomi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Filosofi, etik och religion -- Etik (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Philosophy, Ethics and Religion -- Ethics (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Folkhälsovetenskap, global hälsa, socialmedicin och epidemiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Covid-19

SARS-CoV-2

public health

health policy

ethics

risk

uncertainty

precaution

precautionary principle

pandemic policy

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

rap (ämneskategori)