COVID-19 Ethics Handbook for Caribbean Policy Makers published

A handbook outlining ethical principles to guide the responses of Caribbean governments and policymakers in managing the COVID-19 pandemic is now available. It was authored by two members of The UWI COVID-19 Task Force.

Dr Anna Kasafi Perkins, an ethics specialist, together with Professor R. Clive Landis, a cardiovascular research expert—who chairs the COVID-19 Task Force—wrote the handbook aimed at helping decision-makers navigate the ethical dilemmas arising from the mix of medical, social, economic and other issues posed by COVID-19. The free eBook is entitled, Ethics Amidst COVID-19: A Brief Ethics Handbook for Caribbean Policymakers and Leaders. It is available for free download via The UWI COVID-19 Task Force website.

According to the authors, the book is divided into four parts, including an introduction with subsequent sections exploring relevant ethical principles. Real and adapted case studies are presented to further illustrate the application of key principles in what are often morally complex circumstances that cry out for careful judgement based on a principle-based approach. It also includes an extensive bibliography for further reading and consultation.

As members of The UWI COVID-19 Task Force, Dr Perkins and Professor Landis prepared the handbook as part of the regional University’s mandate to provide accurate and reliable information in the wake of the pandemic. They hope that it encourages ethical commitment and action among Caribbean decision-makers who bear different ethical burdens to those of the ordinary citizen, particularly in their responsibility to make rules and impose policies that affect the lives of entire nations and peoples.