25 Feb Apply models and processes to promote public health

Order Instructions

This reflection should be completed in a minimum of 500 words.

The WHO recommends that during a pandemic or major disease outbreak, the public health response should include contact tracing (secondary prevention surveillance). Contact tracing is very time-intensive, requiring trained personnel with access to persons who have been exposed, who may be willing or resistant to speak with public health contact tracer staff. New Zealand implemented in early 2020 a national tracing app for personal smartphones using principles of big data in surveillance.

Review the following web-based materials in preparation for completing your reflection on the ethics of digital contact tracing during a pandemic or disease outbreak. Click on the web link for each article to view online.

NZCOVID Tracer App: Explore sections on How it works and Privacy & Security https://covid19.govt.nz/testing-and-isolation/contact-tracing/how-contact-tracing-works

Scudellari, M. (2020, Nov.25) How Iceland hammered COVID with science. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03284-3

Additional information:

WHO Q&A: Ethics in public health surveillance https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/q-a-ethics-in-public-health-surveillance

Conduct additional research for how contact tracing has been or could be used during any major disease outbreak via the University Library.

Identify a developing nation characterized by a population with low and middle incomes and other socioeconomic indicators.

How could a contact tracing process for any disease benefit your chosen country?

How could contact tracing be implemented locally?

Compare and contrast how other countries might use data from such an app compared to how the United States might use the data.

SAMPLE ANSWER

Reflection on the Ethics of Digital Contact Tracing During a Pandemic:

Digital contact tracing has become a popular tool for controlling the spread of infectious diseases during pandemics. However, the use of digital technologies to collect and process personal data raises significant ethical concerns. Privacy and data security are key issues that must be addressed to ensure that individuals’ personal information is protected. Additionally, there is a risk that contact tracing data could be used for purposes beyond public health, such as surveillance or discriminatory practices.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidance on the ethical use of public health surveillance, including contact tracing. The WHO emphasizes the importance of transparency, informed consent, and data protection in public health surveillance. In addition, the WHO recommends that the benefits of public health surveillance should outweigh the potential harms, and that public health surveillance should be conducted in a manner that is respectful of human rights and dignity.

Developing Nation: India

India is a developing country with a population of over 1.3 billion people, characterized by low and middle incomes, and other socioeconomic indicators such as high levels of poverty, limited healthcare resources, and inadequate public health infrastructure.

Contact tracing for any disease could benefit India by providing a more efficient and effective means of identifying and isolating infected individuals. In a country as large as India, with such a high population density, traditional contact tracing methods can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Digital contact tracing could help to mitigate these challenges by enabling a more widespread and rapid identification of infected individuals, and by reducing the workload on public health officials.

Contact tracing could be implemented locally in India by leveraging the existing digital infrastructure in the country, such as mobile phone networks and apps. In addition, local community organizations could be enlisted to assist in identifying infected individuals and tracing their contacts.

Data from a contact tracing app in India would likely be used differently than in the United States. In India, the focus would be on identifying and isolating infected individuals to control the spread of the disease, while in the United States, there may be more emphasis on collecting and analyzing data for research and policy-making purposes. Additionally, there may be different legal and regulatory frameworks in each country that would affect how the data is collected, stored, and used.

References:

NZ COVID Tracer App. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://covid19.govt.nz/testing-and-isolation/contact-tracing/how-contact-tracing-works/

Scudellari, M. (2020). How Iceland hammered COVID with science. Nature, 587(7834), 26-28. doi:10.1038/d41586-020-03284-3

World Health Organization. (2021). Q&A: Ethics in public health surveillance. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/q-a-ethics-in-public-health-surveillance