Panel Discussion

Surveillance is a cornerstone of public health. It permits us to recognize disease outbreaks, to track the incidence and prevalence of threats to public health, and to monitor the effectiveness of our interventions. But surveillance also challenges our understandings of the significance and role of privacy in a liberal democracy. In this paper we trace the century-long history of public health surveillance in the United States situating that history in the context of the broad social, political, and ideological forces that have shaped our conceptions of privacy. Through the lens of TB in LA, cancer surveillance in the 1970s, and AIDS surveillance at the end of the twentieth century, we will explore themes that provide a framework for examining the relationship between privacy and public health in many contexts.

Session Objectives: To recognize the role of politics in the practice of public health and identify the interplay with science. To apply a historical framework to the analysis of contemporary policy regarding the control of infectious diseases.

CE Credits: CME, Health Education (CHES), Nursing