Session 2: Freedom or Fallout?: Wellness, Autonomy, and the Blurred Morality of Modern Life
This session probes the ethical tensions in health governance where moral lines blur between collective welfare and individual rights, challenging policymakers to navigate AI surveillance, mandates, and harm reduction amid conflicting values. It highlights how public health imperatives often clash with personal freedoms, urging exploration of balanced interventions that safeguard trust and cohesion without overreach. Discussions aim to clarify boundaries for equitable policies in reproductive rights, data use, and more, fostering resilient frameworks for societal well-being.
- Public Health vs Privacy: How far can the state go in using AI and big data to protect population health before it violates individual privacy?
- Vaccine Mandates and Freedom: To what extent can governments enforce vaccination without overstepping personal bodily autonomy?
- Harm Reduction Policies: Should states provide safe injection sites or other harm reduction programs when these interventions challenge prevailing moral norms?
- Reproductive Rights: How should public policy balance women’s reproductive freedoms with societal moral expectations or demographic goals?
- Defining Ethical Boundaries: In an era of blurred morality, how can policymakers clearly define what interventions are justified without eroding trust or social cohesion?
Moderator:
Dr Pimsupa Puthipiroj
General practitioner at Health Deliver and Pulse Clinic
Speakers:
1. Dr Anusak Kongmalai, DDS
President of the Thai Medical and Wellness Tourism Association
2. Dr Bunyarit Sukrat, MD
Director of the Bureau of Reproductive Health, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health
3. Prof Godfrey Tangwa
Professor Emeritus of the University of Yaounde I, Cameroon
4. Prof Issarang Nuchprayoon, MD, PhD
Professor Emeritus of the University of Yaounde I, Cameroon
5. Dr Ornicha Thititagul, MD
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University