Question

Lin, Smith and Fawkes (2014) note that one of the key challenges for public health practitioners is the tension between individual autonomy founded in bioethics and the communitarian orientations of public health. These tensions are often played out in a political environment and in the media. For example, individual responsibility for health (which might lead to stigma of certain groups and ‘victim blaming’) vs Government public health interventions (such as regulating/restricting advertising and taxation). For this Discussion, please address the following: How do you see tensions between individual rights and community interests being played out in the media and political environment? Can you think of any examples that relate to health?

Answer 1

In the 19th to 20th century first tensions about public health and interest focus on the right of freedom of the individual. Public health regulations focus on individual interests. Individual rights and community interest having barriers due to poor communication, information, political factors like taxation, spending and resources, etc. Public or community interest having a potential trade-off with their regulations. The tension between individual rights and community interests like their privacy, freedom, integrity, religion should improve public health. Public health delayed protecting individual rights and community interest due to inadequate media exposure and by-laws and policies. But with advanced technology new media provide a clear sense of concept on public health with disclosure on health care reform. Bioethics on individual rights has little ethical dilemmas of public health for balancing individual rights on community interest. some bioethics scholars to provide more attention to the law od social justice in the focus of problems. media and political environment reason for regulations effective for community interest and individual rights. New media improve the level of instability and unpredictability in the political process. media serve some important roles in a democratic society. it informs the community to have meaningful thoughts about solutions to social problems. example: Tuberculosis, HIV and other infectious disease outbreak made new paradigm of public health due to political factors, epidemiological, biological that shaped the policy and defenders of liberties without tension between public rights and public interest, media information and political involvement made to rethink about these disease in order to understand the causes about disease and remedial action.