Reaching out to Ebola victims: Coercion, persuasion or an appeal for self-sacrifice?
Soc Sci Med
; 147: 126-33, 2015 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26561947
ABSTRACT
The 2014-2015 Ebola crisis in West Africa has highlighted the practical limits of upholding human rights and common ethical principles when applying emergency public-health measures. The role of medical teams in the implementation of quarantine and isolation has been equivocal, particularly when such measures are opposed by communities who are coerced by the temporary suspension of civil liberties. In their encounters with Ebola victims, outreach teams face moral dilemmas, where the boundaries are unclear between coercion, persuasion and appeals for self-sacrifice. For those teams, we propose a set of practical recommendations aimed at respecting the autonomy of epidemic victims and easing tensions within communities. We recognize that some of these recommendations are progressively achievable, depending on the specific stage or setting of an outbreak. Yet with the increasing availability of experimental treatments and research interventions, weighing patients' autonomy against the common good will become an even more pressing ethical obligation.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Comunicação Persuasiva
/
Coerção
/
Doença pelo Vírus Ebola
/
Direitos Humanos
Tipo de estudo:
Guideline
/
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2015
Tipo de documento:
Article