Terrorism and Public Health: The Little Known Equation

Abstract

, we, like many across the world, watched with incredulity the twin terrorist strikes on the World Trade Centre. Riveted to the television screen, we witnessed the beginnings of a nightmare whose images will likely remain with us for a long time. September 11, and the events that followed, changed our assumptions of world terrorism and, at the same time, redefined public vulnerabilities to weapons of mass destruction using chemical, biological or radionuclear agents (CBRN) to disrupt social infrastructures and institutions by threatening life and limb as well as our sense of security. Not for several years was there a beginning comprehension that the consequences of use of a biological weapon would be an epidemic and that those first detecting its presence and those primarily responsible for controlling the disease would be public health personnel and physicians. 1

Should medical ethics justify violence?

“…12 Unfortunately, well reasoned arguments to this effect are marred by ambiguous statements such as: ''The public health infrastructure is the ''nerf de la guerre'' (the essential basic component to waging war or mounting a public health campaign…)''. 13 In a similar vein, the need to develop collaboration between police, criminologists and epidemiologists has been in some minds. 14 In 2002 President G W Bush proposed mandatory vaccination of all health professionals and of half a million military personnel-a plan that was greeted with massive opposition.…”