COMMENTARY Institutionalizing Ethical Review in Global Health Practice: A Modest Proposal

摘要

Assuring basic human rights for all, seeking social justice, and the ethical implementation of policies to make these goals a reality begins with inspired leaders who have the courage and imagination to challenge established power. Once the social change process has begun, then governance structures and organizational processes must be established if that change is to be made permanent. As countries move toward health equity, this march must be guided by standards of practice that promise ethical treatment of those whose lives we seek to improve. To achieve health equity, Lawrence Gostin et al. call for the World Health Organization’s adoption of a global health framework that is capable of ensuring a well-functioning health system, a full range of public health services, and economic and social conditions conducive to good health.[1] In my role as CEO of the Task Force for Global Health, I am both inspired and challenged by the need to fully integrate systematic ethical review into our organizational structure and programmatic practice. Here, I describe my vision for how ethics can more meaningfully be implemented in global health.