Pandemics, Bioethics, and Engagement
Today's e-newsletter from the University of Minnesota's Academic Health Center contains an item that reminds us of an eventuality we hope won't happen, but had better be prepared for if it does.
The University's Center for Bioethics has joined with Minnesota Department of Health and the Minnesota Center for Health Care Ethics to develop an ethical framework for allocating essential health care resources during a severe influenza pandemic. To accomplish the goal, the coalition will recruit a broad-based panel of experts and stakeholders to outline the framework and develop recommendations for its implementation. The proposed framework will balance the competing priorities of caring for the sick, preventing spread of the illness, and maintaining critical social systems and economic activities. Jeff Kahn (Center for Bioethics) said, "These are not easy issues, and we appreciate the investment of the Department of Health in efforts to address some of the critical and pressing ethical questions that will arise in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak. We look forward to working with a diverse group of experts and stakeholders on these issues.
This points out how important it is for university, government, and private organizations to work together on crucial societal issues. The university contribution takes a wide variety of forms, and is rarely the whole story.