Week 11: Social Justice and Public Health Ethics

Question 1

Social justice

Answer 1

“The fair distribution of society’s benefits and responsibilities and their consequences. It focuses on the relative position of one social group in relation to others in society as well as on the root causes of disparities and what can be done to eliminate them” (CNA, 2017, p. 26).
Health is a human right
Health is impacted by poverty

Question 2

Social justice is concerned with 3 things

Answer 2

Differences
Causes
Solutions

Question 3

The Canada Health Act

Answer 3

Primary Objective:
“To protect, promote and restore the physical and mental well-being of residents of Canada and to facilitate reasonable access to health services without financial or other barriers.”

The aim of the CHA is to ensure that all eligible residents of Canada have reasonable access to insured health services on a prepaid basis, without direct charges at the point of service for such services.

Question 4

Three key principles of the Canada Health Act

Answer 4

1. The principle of universality, means that public health care insurance must be provided to all Canadians – so all Canadians are entitled to have their basic health care needs met without having to pay for that out of pocket.
2. The principle of comprehensiveness, means that medically necessary hospital and doctor services are covered by public health care insurance; - this expands the coverage from basic needs to essential health care needs.
3. The principle of accessibility, means that financial or other barriers to the provision of publicly funded health services are discouraged, so that health services are available to all Canadians when they need them.

Question 5

Examples of WRHA social determinants of health could result in:

Answer 5

Lower life expectancy
More hospitalizations for preventable conditions
Vast differences in incarceration rates between Indigenous and non-indigenous people
More teen pregnancy, smoking, diabetes and mental illness
Less completion of high school, attachment to primary care, poorer dental health

Question 6

Harm reduction

Answer 6

Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use. Harm Reduction is also a movement for social justice built on a belief in, and respect for, the rights of people who use drugs.

Question 7

Harm reduction principles

Answer 7

Reduce harms of a behaviour rather than condemn or ignore
Behaviours exist on a continuum - some are safer than others
Quality of life determines success
Non-judgment, non-coercion, meeting people where they are at
Ensure people have a voice in programming and policies
People are the agents of their own harm reduction - empowered
Recognize realities of social inequalities that affect vulnerability and capacity
Does not ignore or minimize risk of harm

Question 8

What is victim blaming?

Answer 8

“…holds people burdened by social conditions accountable for their own situations and responsible for needed solutions”