PHIL 344: Ethical Issues in Global Health

• Fulfills the requirement for a course in 'Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy' for the Philosophy major.

The global COVID-19 pandemic is a reminder of the importance of addressing public and global health inequity, as well as of the need to cultivate ethical responsiveness and solidarity with others. In this class, students will examine ethical issues and concerns that arise in global health policy and practice for governments, international health organizations, and humanitarian health workers using ethical theories, concepts, and principles.

 

Topics covered may include:

• obligations for global health justice;
• resource allocation and structural injustice in pandemics, disaster, and mass displacement;
• global health funding, prioritization, and accountability;
• humanitarian ethical principles and moral experience of health workers;
• gender-based violence, asylum, and epistemic justice.

Students will develop a research project in stages that will culminate in a final paper, a class presentation, an abstract, and a research brief; facilitate at least one and no more than two class discussions in collaboration with a partner; and write weekly posts for the discussion board. 

This course will be of interest to students in: public policy and international affairs; conflict analysis and resolution; global affairs; global health; public health; women and gender studies; and philosophy.

PHIL 344 DL1 is a distance education section.

Credits: 3