Global Emerging Pathogens, Poverty and Vulnerability: An Ethical Analysis

In the last few decades, the world has witnessed the emergence and re-emergence of new and old infectious diseases. Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) have the capacity to spread rapidly from one region of the world to another, within a very short time, due to world travel and increased global interdependence. The impact of this varies from one region to another. Resource poor countries suffer the most due to an already high disease burden, poor infrastructures, lack of clean, potable water and sanitation, as well as an acute shortage of qualified health personnel to manage, control and contain the crisis/spread. Poor and marginalized communities are the most vulnerable because infectious diseases cause not only suffering and death, but also severe economic hardship. The outbreak of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the developing world has shown the extent to which economic and social conditions can affect vulnerable populations. These socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions accelerate the spread of, and exacerbate the negative impact of emerging pathogens. This chapter will undertake an analysis of the trend in global emerging pathogens, their economic impact, the global vulnerability status and ethical implications.