The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica. Friday, July 31, 2020. —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.

NOTE:

Access
the free handbook, Ethics
Amidst COVID-19: A Brief Ethics Handbook for Caribbean Policymakers
and Leaders via
https://uwi.edu/covid19/resources/resources-policymakers

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