The right to public health

Area of Science:

• Public Health Ethics
• Political Philosophy
• Bioethics

Background:

• The dominant 'autonomy first' ethical framework challenges traditional public health interventions.
• A persistent conflict exists between prioritizing individual autonomy and the goals of public health practice.
• Reconciling these perspectives is crucial for effective population health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To reconcile the 'autonomy first' ethical approach with standard public health practices.
• To develop a normative justification for state action in promoting and protecting public health.
• To reframe public health not as individual entitlements versus the common good, but as a state duty.

Main Methods:

• Ethical analysis of public health interventions.
• Philosophical argumentation for state duties regarding health.
• Comparative analysis of 'autonomy first' and public health frameworks.

Main Results:

• State intervention to promote health can be ethically justified as a duty owed to individuals.
• Failure to implement cost-effective health measures violates individual rights.
• Both insufficient and excessive state intervention can infringe upon individual rights.

Conclusions:

• Public health ethics should integrate individual autonomy with the state's duty to protect population health.
• A balanced approach recognizes that the state's role in health is essential for upholding individual rights.
• Rethinking public health ethics is necessary to support effective and rights-respecting interventions.