Thursday, May 10, 2018

le Roux-Kemp: International and Operational Responses to Disease Control: Beyond Ebola and Epistemological Confines

Andra le Roux-Kemp (City Univ. of Hong Kong - Law) has posted “International and Operational Responses to Disease Control: Beyond Ebola and Epistemological Confines” (Indiana Health Law Review, Vol. 15, no. 2, p. 247, 2018). Here's an excerpt:
The content of this article is divided into four parts. First, in Part II, the lifecycle of two epidemics will be considered, Ebola, and the 2003 SARS outbreak. Considering these two outbreaks and the international legal responses thereto provides a valuable lens through which the multiple layers of disease outbreaks and control from the past to the present can be observed. In Part III, this paper provides an overview of the international legal and operational framework for public health emergencies, confined to references and examples from the two outbreaks selected for and discussed in Part II. Part IV considers the national legal responses of those countries most affected by the recent Ebola outbreak and the 2003 SARS outbreak. Part V discusses the question of whether to quarantine or not. Part VI discusses lessons to be learned, and why knowledge production beyond disciplinary confines is necessary. And finally, Part VII of this article concludes with a critical analysis of two observed failings of the current international legal and operational framework for public health emergencies. In considering the shortcomings of the current framework it will be argued that a more holistic approach to disease control is required that looks beyond disciplinary confines.