Abstract
We present the results of the public health ethics advisory project directed at the Government of Spain, specifically the Ministry of Health and the newly created Spanish State Public Health Agency. The project has been publicly funded to provide guidance on the institutionalization of public health ethics. It includes the drafting of a Public Health Code of Ethics, the proposal for a Public Health Ethics Committee, a teacher training program in public health ethics for members of the Agency and the Ministry, and social dissemination activities to inform the public about the importance of integrating ethics into all policies affecting public health. The proposed Public Health Code of Ethics contains seven ethical principles, along with lines of action derived from these principles and a Good Practices Guide. The detailed proposal for the Public Health Ethics Committee is intended to advise the Agency and the Ministry on ethical issues inherent in public health decision-making. The training program aims to equip government members and public officials with knowledge of ethics, ethical conflicts, and ethically informed decision-making in public health. Finally, the project includes a social dissemination program designed to foster critical public awareness regarding the need to incorporate ethics into public health policies, which includes democratic citizen participation.
Key messages
• We present the results of the public health ethics advisory project directed at the Government of Spain, specifically the Ministry of Health and the newly created Spanish State Public Health Agency.
• We present a draft of a Public Health Code of Ethics, the proposal for a Public Health Ethics Committee, and a training program in public health ethics directed at the government.