Health equity as an ethical landmark in bioethics

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to contribute for the application of equity as an ethical landmark in bioethics reflection on public health issues. Methodology was done as follow: description of the conceptual origin of equity, its application in public health, and equity analysis as ethical landmark inserted into social dimension of bioethics. The conceptual foundation of equity is based on Aristotelian thought, which distinguishes justice equity at the time it is divided into legal rights and natural rights, including concepts of politics justice. In public health, the notion of equity assumes that individuals are different, therefore, they deserve different treatment according to their vulnerabilities. Latin American bioethics has as principle the reduction of inequities and social disparities, as described in Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights "To promote equitable access to medical, scientific and technological developments". Thus, equity is strengthened as ethical landmark in decision taking and allocation of public funds associated with social justice.