The Social Impact of Communication during Epidemics: Bioethical and Public Health Perspectives

• Main Authors: Eduardo Alfredo Duro, María Angélica Sotomayor, Fabiola Czubaj, Carmen Alicia Cardozo de Martínez, Ida Cristina Gubert, Luis M. López Dávila, Elizabeth María Benites Estupiñan, Fernando Adrián Torres, Claude Vergès de López, Patricia Cudeiro, Laura Rueda Castro, Patricia Sorokin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Pontificia Comillas 2018-06-01
• Series: Revista Iberoamericana de Bioética
• Subjects: epidemias; comunicación; red social; bioética; salud pública
• Online Access: http://revistas.upcomillas.es/index.php/bioetica-revista-iberoamericana/article/view/8374

Public health communication and, especially during a crisis scenario such as an epidemics, is mediated by ethical conflicts ranging from values to deontology. In an intercommunicated world, the social support during outbreaks and epidemics becomes global and the state presence is a key to social protection. This should also be translated into timely, urgent and effective communication strategies from the public health perspective as well as efforts to prevent and avoid fake news or skewed information from any sources. Scenarios with lack of connection and obstacles in mass communication in public health major threats are described.