If we are to maintain the special social relationship that enables so much of what we do, the suffering of our patients must never be accepted as the proper battleground upon which to act out our displeasure with poorly-conceived public policies.
Health promotion ethics is moral deliberation about health promotion and its practice. It is regaining attention over the broader literature on public health issues. Health promotion can be approached as a normative ideal and as a practice. Normative ideal deals with the equity of social arrangements. The two main ethical questions that arise are:
a. What is a good society?
b. What should health promotion contribute to a good society?
Health promotion deals with four main issues: the potential for health promotion to limit or increase the freedom of individuals; health promotion as a source of collective benefit; the possibility that heath promotion strategies might stigmatize those who are at higher risk of disease; importance of distributing the benefits of health promotion fairly. Health promotion ethics should thoughtfully connect social and political philosophy with and applied, empirically informed ethics of practice.
Producing benefits, often but not exclusively health benefits, and often interpreted in health policy as a utilitarian commitment to maximizing aggregate health benefits.
Preventing harms, often health harms, such as preventable morbidity and premature death.
Distributing health benefits fairly or distributive justice (fair distribution of social goods).
Procedural justice (fair process), participation, and transparency.
Respecting individual autonomy and liberty of action.
Respecting and fulfilling universal human rights.
Respecting privacy and confidentiality.
Protecting non-dominant subgroups from marginalization and stigmatization.
Building and maintaining trust.
