The New Public Health Hegemony: Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Toronto

The 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak presented a challenging period for public health in Toronto. Many old and new public health measures were implemented at local, national and global levels, in an attempt to control the outbreak of the disease. Among these, surveillance mechanisms dominated, which involved new epidemiological techniques and statistical profiling strategies. In this paper, Gramsci's concept of hegemony is used to further understandings of public health governance during the outbreak of emerging infectious diseases. Specifically, the function of the discourse of ‘risk’ in public health governance is examined, along with public health as a ‘moral agent’ in the naturalization of specific public health measures. In addition, the pervasive discourse of ‘security’ is discussed in relation to current public health practices. These characteristics of public health are examined with consideration of their potential for propagating social exclusion and stigmatization of individuals and communities. The specific case of SARS in Toronto is used to examine the implications of public health as a mechanism for social control and reproduction rather than the promotion of equality in health throughout the population.