Undoubtedly, epidemics and pandemics are good examples of extraordinary circumstances that may require extraordinary measures. Such exceptionality, however, should not provide an alibi for pandemic planners and policy makers to ignore fundamental human rights. This is why ethics should always be a key element to be considered when planning a proper response to such global health threats.
On October 14-17, Milan will host the 8th European Public Health Conference, organized by the European Public Health Conference Foundation, the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) and the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (SITI).
Viruses and bacteria are not the only ones to spread during an epidemic. Rumours and misinformation can do that too, eventually leading to the constitution of a parallel information system that could undermine the efficacy of the institutional communication. Similar situations often arise in case of contested knowledge or when only few highly technical experts are left dealing with scientific information.
The Health Department of the European Commission will organise a conference for Member States and partners on lessons to be learned from the Ebola epidemic. The event is organised in close collaboration with the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council and will take place in Mondorf-les-Bains from 12 to 14 October 2015. There will be four sessions, each of them focusing on a specific topic:
Many experts talk about pandemics and about the importance of preparedness but, based on the previous experience with the 2009 A(H1N1) swine flu, the issue of what a pandemic is and when it has to be declared is still under debate.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has decided to hold a two-days conference in Riga (Latvia) with ministers and high level representatives from the Ministries of Health, Social Affairs and Finance of the European Union, European Economic Area and Eastern Partnership Countries as well as high representatives of the European Commission, members of the European Parliament, representatives of international institu
Recognize and respect fear. This is one of the main lessons Ron Klain claims to have learned by his efforts against Ebola. Klain has recently served as the first White House Ebola Response Coordinator, also known as the Ebola Czar. From such a high position, he got a close and deep insight into the dramatic threat to global health represented by the West Africa outbreak.
The recent cases of measles outbreaks in US and Europe reignited the debate on vaccines, the science behind them and the conflict between the right to individual freedom and the state intervention. Amongst the several factors that contribute to the decrease of vaccination coverage – especially in some groups – vaccine hesitancy is one of particular interest, which should require much greater attention from public health and epidemiology, medical sociology, anthropology, and the behavioural, economic and political sciences.
One of the ASSET’s purposes is to develop its approach on different levels, from the global to the local one. This will include both the analysis of specific experiences and the production of new initiatives. According to this aim, the Bulgarian National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD) has just released the Local Communication Plan for Bulgaria, which is a complement of the Communication Strategy of the ASSET project.
