Public Health Ethics

Compared to public health organisations, medical institutions have been more open about the ethical aspects of their activity. Public health issues, however, do not entirely align with medical ones. Therefore, we cannot simply apply the ethics of medicine to public health. In contrast to medicine, public health is more focused on prevention than treatment and is more concerned with populations than with individuals. Numerous public health experts and ethicists have recognised the necessity to define a specific public health ethic. The distinguishing characteristics of public health and the ethical principles that stem from or respond to those components can be made clearer by a code of ethics for public health. It can make the principles evident to populations and communities.