When Death Crosses Borders: Leadership Ethics and Contagious Disease

Session Submission Type: Panel Discussion

Short Description

Some of the most important leadership lessons of the recent Ebola outbreak that claimed over 10,000 lives in West Africa are ethical ones. This panel will examine the Ebola crisis from the perspective of ethical leadership, evaluating the responses to the epidemic while drawing insights that can be applied to future medical crises. Audience members will be invited to offer their comments and questions.

Detailed Abstract

The recent deadly Ebola outbreak, which claimed over 10,000 lives in West Africa, is not the first epidemic to threaten the world’s health system nor will it be the last. Some of the most important leadership lessons of the Ebola outbreak are ethical ones. These lessons will be important to consider the next time a disease runs rampant across borders. The Ethics Forum Learning Community invited a panel to examine the Ebola crisis from the perspective of ethical leadership, evaluating the responses to the epidemic while drawing insights that can be applied to future medical crises. Among the questions to be addressed: Why were wealthier nations so slow to offer aid? Did Western caregivers ignore cultural norms? Why did some risk their lives to treat victims while others refused? How do we balance individual rights against public safety? What ethical perspectives should guide crisis management, crossing age, ethnic, geographic, cultural and political boundaries? What should leaders—public sector, private sector, non-profit sector, religious sector--do the next time this kind of crisis arises? And there WILL be a next time…

Sub Unit

• Conference Theme – Leading Across Borders and Generations

Presenters

• Tom Sechrest, St. Edward's University

• Paul Shelton, George Fox University

• Bernadette McKinney, University of Texas Medical Branch

• Craig E. Johnson, George Fox University