The year 2020 has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic presenting enormous challenges to global livelihoods, economies, governance and social order, besides putting a huge strain on healthcare capacity and delivery worldwide. It is also testing scientific integrity and ethics as never before.

The Indian subcontinent has been a hotspot for both the infection and its collateral damage, in the shape of multiple humanitarian tragedies. With the focus of the public health discourse being on testing, isolation, prevention, treatment and vaccination, several ethical issues have emerged. These have been addressed sporadically, but need to be addressed through organised dissection, debate, and prioritisation.

The Forum for Medical Ethics Society (FMES) - and its two platforms – the Indian Journal of Medical Ethics (IJME) and the Health, Ethics and Law (HEaL) Institute - realised that there is an urgent need to identify and emphasise ethical and humanitarian issues around the pandemic especially its impact on healthcare in South Asia, through multisectoral dialogues. This is essential as this pandemic is going to be with us for some time to come.

This year, the 8th National Bioethics Conference (NBC) is being organised on the theme:

Crisis within a crisis: The scientific, ethical & humanitarian challenge of COVID-19.

The Center for Bioethics, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), Mangalore joins with us a co-host of the 8th NBC.

8th NBC will be a simple virtual event, conducted over four Saturdays starting from November 28, 2020 until December 19, 2020. It will offer a platform for debate and consensus on the critical issues arising from this important theme.

Many of you are aware of the National Bioethics Conference (NBC) we organise every two years. This has now become a major platform for all those interested in asserting ethical & humane health care to meet & engage. The 7th NBC in 2018 was held in Bengaluru along with the 14th World Congress of Bioethics, a platform of the International Association of Bioethics.

Usually, NBCs are spread over 3 days which comprise plenaries and a number of parallel tracks for paper presentations and workshops; accompanied by pre and post conference satellite meetings. We also host a simultaneous art and humanities festival during NBCs. We have opted for a somewhat different format for the 8th NBC. This time we have curated four plenaries and about eight webinars which are spread over four Saturdays.

Whilst we cannot meet face to face, the virtual nature will provide an opportunity for people from across the globe to engage.

We are looking forward to seeing you all virtually.

Themes | Organisers | Conference Committee | Pre- and Post-Conference Satellite Meetings | Program | Registration

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FMES-IJME Ethics Awards 2020-21 Final Program | About FMES-IJME Ethics Awards | Selection Committee for FMES-IJME Ethics Awards | Ethics Awards

Posters : Poster 1 | Poster 2 | Poster 3 | Poster 4 | Poster 5 | Poster 6