Ethical issues in pandemic influenza planning and response: The activities of WHO

Many critical ethical questions arise in pandemic influenza planning and response. These include: determining the criteria for allocating access to treatment and prophylaxis; defining and enforcing the obligations of and to health care workers; establishing principles to govern the use of public health measures that interfere with individual liberties; and identifying the obligations that countries owe to one another. Insufficient attention to these issues could erode public trust in pandemic response efforts, reduce compliance among health workers and the general population, and potentially cause public outcry, social disruption and economic losses.

To help countries address these issues, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been carrying out a project on ethical issues in pandemic influenza preparedness since 2006. It convened representatives of its Member States, nongovernmental organizations, and other stakeholders to identify ethical considerations critical in the pandemic preparedness process. This process resulted in the publication of a WHO guidance document, entitled "Ethical considerations in developing a public health response to pandemic influenza," in the beginning of 2008. Capacity-building activities on pandemic preparedness and response have been ongoing in WHO's regions and Member States, with a strong focus on the ethical aspects of planning.

This presentation will report on WHO's activities in this area and on how countries have incorporated ethical issues into their pandemic planning process.