Health and Development Work Abroad: Ethics and Best Practices

Location: 
School of Nursing Building
Room: 
1240

Description: Growing numbers of Americans work in developing countries as volunteers or as employees of government agencies, NGOs and charities devoted to humanitarian aid. Many of these activities are meant to address gaps in the health care available to communities with limited resources; some provide direct patient care, while others address more systemic issues such as access to vaccines and/or training to increase the number of local health care professionals. While most of these efforts are well-intentioned and many provide much-needed assistance, some have been shown not only to be ineffective but also to have unanticipated negative consequences. This panel will address both the practical and the ethical dimensions of foreign involvement in health care delivery and development in low-resource communities.