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28 - Teaching global health ethics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2011

By
James Dwyer
Edited by
Solomon Benatar  and
Gillian Brock
Solomon Benatar
Affiliation:
University of Cape Town
Gillian Brock
Affiliation:
University of Auckland
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Summary

In Japan, Switzerland and Australia, the average life expectancy is about 82 years. But in Sierra Leone, Angola and Afghanistan, it is about 41 years. Within the USA, people in some social groups can expect to live 20 years longer than people in other social groups. What are we to make of a world with such unequal health prospects? What does justice demand in terms of global health? And what is our moral responsibility?

I have thought about those questions for many years. In fact, I have fallen into a pattern that is both commendable and deplorable. I grow concerned about global health, study the causes of poor population health, think about the moral implications, and take some action. Then, gradually, I slip back into my daily concerns and work. These concerns and work are not without merit, but they don't provide much space for activities that promote global health and justice.

But over the last 15 years, I have done at least one thing consistently: I have integrated ethical issues about global health into my teaching. In courses for medical students, I have tried to address fundamental issues about global health, justice and responsibility. And I have done the same in courses attended by students from other fields – nursing, biology, engineering, philosophy and drama. I have also reached out beyond the university to discuss global health ethics with high school students, religious groups, professional associations and the general public.

Type
Chapter
Information
Global Health and Global Health Ethics , pp. 319 - 328
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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