The Ethics Section believes public health action should be grounded in the highest evidentiary and ethical standards. We share the latest research and information, promote best practices and advocate for the explicit integration of ethics in all public health activities and policies.
Originally set up as the Bioethics Forum in the 1980s, the Ethics Section was established in 2014.
Our Members
The Ethics Section is made up of active and retired professionals and students. The members represent a wide variety of disciplines and are committed to advancing public health ethics in practice, teaching and research.
Whether you have encountered ethical dilemmas in your work, are interested in how public values inform health policy or are just curious as to what ethics is all about, you are welcome!
Our Work
Together, we strengthen the profession by:
- Catalyzing discourse – We encourage public health ethics discourse by engaging professionals in all public health disciplines and making transparent the ethical foundations of our work.
- Heightening awareness and understanding – We highlight important ethical issues, applying tools and methods, such as the Public Health Code of Ethics, to facilitate deeper understanding of ethics throughout all aspects of public health research, policy and practice.
- Serving as a resource – We serve as a resource for thinking through complex ethical issues using tools, methods, and approaches grounded in public health ethics, providing insight and expertise for APHA, for the larger public health community, for public and private decision-makers and for the general public to promote increased understanding of complex ethical considerations that confront us all.
Member Benefits
As a member of our Section, you can help grow our legacy in public health practice! We offer many opportunities to get involved, such as participating in section calls, taking on a section leadership role, collaborating with other organizations and partners, influencing APHA policies and priorities, promoting the APHA Code of Ethics, reviewing abstracts and presenting your research at the APHA Annual Meeting.
Join Us!
Your participation is vital to our continued success. Become an active member of the Section when you join APHA. Choose the Ethics section as your primary or secondary section (choosing two sections are at no additional cost to the members) You can chose or update your section membership by going to your member profile. We would love for you to become an active member of our section. Please reach out to section leadership for further information.
Attend Events
Check out the APHA calendar for upcoming Section events and browse our sessions at the 2024 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo.
Visit on APHA LEAD
Members can visit us on APHA LEAD to learn about upcoming events, join in discussions with other Section members, and access our Section’s resource library.
Follow on Social Media
Find us on Facebook and X to receive up-to-date information on Section happenings as well as professional development opportunities.
Contribute
Support our efforts by making a donation.