Applied Public Health Ethics

The world of public health has changed radically over the last twenty years with a significant shift in focus to prevention. This book explores the ethics and efficacy of many current public health programmes.

Beginning and ending with more general chapters looking at rectifying health inequalities and professional practice, this text’s central parts focus specifically on screening, surveillance and interventions. Investigating their relative costs and benefits, it discusses screening for cancers as well as other diseases, lifestyle surveillance, vaccination programmes, infectious disease control and smoking interventions. Exploring the relationship between top-down control and an individual’s autonomy, as well as issues around harm prevention, efficacy and evidence, it is the perfect introduction to real world public health dilemmas.

This applied textbook is suitable for all those with an interest in public health ethics, including MPH students and those studying public health from a range of health professional backgrounds.