Ethical issues in the COVID-19 pandemic control preparedness in a developing economy

Abstract

Adequate preparation for highly pathogenic infectious disease pandemic can reduce the incidence, prevalence and burden of diseases like COVID-19 pandemic. An antidote to the spread of the disease is adequate preparation for its control since there is no proven curative measure yet. Effective management of identified cases, social distancing, contact tracing and provision of basic infrastructure to facilitate compliance with preventive measures, testing are proven management strategies. Although these measures seem to be the best options presently, it is important to pay attention to ethical issues arising from the implementation process to ensure best practice. While disease epidemic is not alien to human societies, lessons from previous outbreaks are vital for addressing future outbreaks. For effective control of this pandemic, there should be a clear definition of social distancing in terms of distance and space in line with the WHO definition, adequate provision of basic amenities, screening and testing with specific criteria for selecting those to be screened. Also, there should be a free testing procedure, access to treatment opportunities for those who test positive, ethical free contact tracing practice, respect for the autonomy of those to be tested, and global best practice of open science, open data and data sharing practices. In conclusion, a framework/guideline for epidemic/pandemic ethics guidance should be developed while an ethical sensitive communication manual should be prepared for public engagement on epidemic and pandemic.

Barriers to and strategies to address COVID-19 testing hesitancy: a rapid scoping review

“…Among racialized Americans, Egelko et al (2020) noted that distrust in the healthcare system and the state was present due to racist treatment that had and continued to exist within them, and the ongoing role these institutions had in perpetuating health inequities. Similarly, immigrants lacking legal status were also hesitant to receive a test, as there was a fear that the government may use personal information to ensure immigration enforcement [ 45 ].…”

Pandemic Preparedness: A Scoping Review of Best and Worst Practices from COVID-19

“…The authors argued that using pre-existing or repurposing older networks as platforms for sharing preliminary information and giving access to real-time data before they are available in scientific or medical communities is a crucial step to take when preparing for further pandemics. Jegede et al [ 25 ] argued that a framework and ethical guidelines are extremely valuable during a pandemic; building on the discourse around contextually sensitive measures, the authors showed that ethically sensitive communication and appropriate countermeasures had a positive impact on the public in the Global South.…”

Do government activities increase public compliance in the Covid-19 pandemic? Evidence from Vietnam

“…Secondly , our findings indicated the important role of GEFs in enhancing public trust in and compliance with the government. Therefore, it is critical that the government should always be well-prepared and anticipate possible scenarios for the potential risks of the current pandemic and future public health crises (Jegede et al , 2020). Lack of sufficient preparedness may lead to ineffectiveness in containing the pandemic, which can thereby erode PTG, and thus, reduce their compliance with the government (Orfali, 2021).…”