Special DLSPH Event: Ethics of using restrictive measures in the control of infectious diseases

The second COVID-19 webinar will explore the ethics of using restrictive measures in the control of infectious diseases.

Responding to a pandemic through the healthcare system alone may not be effective. The use of public health measures such as physical distancing clearly raises important ethical issues regarding the limits to personal freedoms in times of public health emergencies.
Although these measures played a role to prevent the spread of SARS in 2003, H1N1 in 2009 and Ebola in 2014-16, they were limited in scope in comparison to the measures used in the COVID-19 response.

Experts will delve into the history of physical distancing measures like quarantine, their success and the tradeoffs made during the Spanish Flu and how it applies to today’s current pandemic. They will also approach through an ethics lens, the concept of civil liberties and public health response.

This webinar is an opportunity for DLSPH alumni and the U of T community to hear the latest from public health professionals and researchers, ask their questions, and contribute to the ongoing dialogue from a public health and health system perspective.

Trusted voices are crucial during these unprecedented times and DLSPH is well-positioned to provide them.

Panel
Moderator: Ross Upshur, Professor, Clinical Public Health Division, Centre for Global Health
Christopher Rutty – Clinical Public Health, Centre for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
Anna Banerji – Associate Professor, Clinical Public Health Division and Social & Behavioural Health Sciences Division with a cross-appointment to the Faculty of Medicine
Jeff Kwong – Professor, Clinical Public Health Division and Epidemiology Division
Alison Thompson – Associate Professor, Social & Behavioural Health Sciences Division and Joint Centre for Bioethics
Trudo Lemmens – Professor and Scholl Chair in Health Law and Policy, Faculty of Law; cross-appointed to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, the Faculty of Medicine and the Joint Centre for Bioethics.