Justice and Resource Allocation in Healthcare

This topic addresses the critical ethical issue of distributive justice—the fair allocation of scarce healthcare resources. It is paramount for Zambian tertiary students in health policy, management, and public health. Students explore principles for prioritization, such as need, utility, equality, and prioritizing the worst-off. The content applies these principles to pressing Zambian and global dilemmas, including allocation of antimalarial drugs, ICU beds, or organs for transplant. Learners will examine the tension between individual needs and population benefits, and the role of transparent, participatory decision-making processes. Mastery of this topic equips Zambian university students and future health leaders to contribute to equitable health policy development, advocate for vulnerable groups, and make ethically defensible decisions in resource-constrained settings, a core challenge within Zambia's health system.