WHO Guidelines on Ethical Issues in Public Health Surveillance
2017
This document from the World Health Organization (WHO) outlines 17 ethical guidelines for everyone involved in public health surveillance including government agency officials, health workers, NGOs, and the private sector. The guidelines aim to help policymakers and health practitioners approach the ethical issues associated with surveillance. Disease surveillance is essential for epidemic response but can also contribute to reducing inequalities of suffering and understanding the global burden of noncommunicable diseases. Public health surveillance can extend to environmental or occupational surveillance, as well as provide evidence to inform health policy and advocacy. This report highlights the importance of surveillance but also addresses its limitations and associated risks in order to fill the gap in international guidelines directly on public health surveillance.
WHO Guidelines on Ethical Issues in Public Health Surveillance
Source:
WHO Guidelines on Ethical Issues in Public Health Surveillance. World Health Organization 2017. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-guidelines-on-ethical-issues-in-public-health-surveillance.