2026

Ethics in Epidemiology and Public Health

Name: Ethics in Epidemiology and Public Health
Code: FIL13678O
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area: Philosophy

Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese

Sustainable Development Goals

Learning Goals

1. To understand the opposition between the individual approach and the community approach in Ethics and Public Health.
2. To relate epidemiological risks in globalized societies to the precautionary principle and the responsibility for transnational and transcontinental responses.
3. To identify the ethical nature of all decisions.
4. To recognize the strength of the right to health care-equity principle in situations of resource scarcity.
5. To reflect on epidemic disease control mechanisms as risk factors for freedom and personal integrity.

Contents

I. Ethics and the Life and Health Sciences, today
II. Ethical values, principles of action and human decision
III. Ethical challenges in Epidemiology and Public Health
IV. Epidemiology and Research
V. Ethical regulation and “impossible choices” for politicians

Teaching Methods

Main methods:
a) Exposure (introducing the curricular unit’s themes and problems);
b) Hermeneutics of texts;
c) Discussion and argumentation.
d) Evaluation. Continuous evaluation will include two written testes. Each test corresponds to 50% of the final grade.