Alicia Yamin, J.D., M.P.H. Instructor in Law & Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health and an Executive Editor of Health and Human Rights
Joseph H. Flom Global Health and Human Rights Fellow 2007-09, The Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School

Seminar TopicUsing ethical frameworks to address priority-setting for health problems in low-income countries: A case study on maternal mortality
Maternal mortality is the leading source of mortality for women of reproductive age in the developing world.   Approximately 530,000 woman and girls die each year due to maternal causes, despite the fact that the set of interventions necessary to save these women’s lives have been known and available in the developed world for 60 years.  Maternal mortality levels are an indicator not just of the marginalization of women and girls in a society, but also of the state of functioning of a society’s health system.  Unlike many public health problems which can be addressed largely through community-based interventions and improvement in living conditions, reducing maternal mortality requires skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric care, and a referral system for handling obstetric emergencies. Moreover, maternal mortality often occurs in societies that face other public health threats, which kill far greater numbers of people, including child mortality, HIV/AIDS and TB, and therefore poses questions regarding competing priorities. Based on an in-depth fictional case study that students will be given ahead of time (approximately 12 pages), this seminar will explore how ethical frameworks (utilitarianism, Rawlsian liberalism and communitarianism) inform decisions regarding: 1 priority-setting, including placing priority on maternal mortality,  given that it is only one among many health problems; 2. addressing disparities between rural-urban populations and among regions ; and 3. cultural barriers and obstacles to women seeking institutional births.  After an introduction, students will be broken into groups and the session will be highly participatory and inter-active.

To learn more about Ms. Alicia Yamin click here.
http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/petrie-flom/fellowship_program/2007_09_Global_Fellows/Alicia_Yamin.html