ΗΘΙΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΗ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΚΗ ΥΓΕΙΑΣ. ΗΘΙΚΕΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΟΙΝΩΝΙΚΕΣ ΠΡΩΤΕΡΑΙΟΤΗΤΕΣ ΓΙΑ ΓΕΝΕΤΙΚΕΣ ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΕΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΛΛΑΔΑ

Abstract

THE BASIC ARGUMENT IN THIS STUDY IS THAT THE PRIORITY OF GENETIC SERVICES MUST BE CONSIDERED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF AN OVERRIDING IMPERATIVE FOR A GREEK SYSTEM OF HEALTH CARE, THAT PROVIDES FAIR ACCESS TO A DECENT MINIMUM OF MEDICALCARE. THE ETHICAL REASONS FOR THE ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FOR HEALTH CARE, ARE BASED ON PRINCIPLES SUCH AS JUSTICE, FAIRNESS, EQUALITY AND UTILITY. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE GENETIC SERVICES WAS PROVIDED AS WELL AS AN ANALYSIS OF THE MORAL PROBLEM THAT ARISE FROM THEIR APPLICATION. FURTHERMORE, SOME CHARACTERISTICS ATTITUDES, BEHAVIOR AND ECONOMIC SOCIAL CONDITIONS WERE PROVIDED, THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE URGENT NEED FOR GENETIC SERVICES. FINALLY A MODERATE PRIORITY WAS ASSIGNED TO GENETIC SERVICES IN GREECE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE OVERALL PROBLEMS. IT WAS ARGUED THAT PRIORITIES IN MEDICINE CANNOT BE SEPARATED FROM SOCIAL PRIORITIES AND THAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF IMPROVING CERTAIN HEALTH SERVICES SHOULD BE EXAMINED IN A SOCIAL CONTEXT. RECOMMENTATIONS WERE MADE ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF GENETIC SERVICES, FOLLOW-UP EVALUATIONS AND LONG-TERM MEASURES TO IMPROVE THESE SERVICES. ONE FUTURE DIRECTION IN GENETIC SERVICES MAY BE GENE THERAPY. THE SCIENTIFIC ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE ABOUT: A) SUCCESSFUL CLONING OF THE B-GLOBIN GENE FOR THE THALASSEMIA, B) THE ANTICIPATIONOF GENE REPLACEMENT THERAPY IN HUMANS, REVISED HOPES OF PEOPLE WHO HAD CONTACT WITH GENETIC DISEASES AND THE SUFFERING CAUSED BY THESE DISEASES OF BIOLOGICALAND CULTURAL EVOLUTION. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)