A one-day conference organised by The Institute for Emergent Infections of Humans and the Programme on the Ethics of the New Biosciences in collaboration with the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (CAPPE), The Australian National University.

This interdisciplinary one-day conference will bring together scientists, politicians, policy-makers and ethicists to examine ethical issues associated with emerging infectious diseases. It will specifically focus on questions about the extent to which infectious disease control justifies interference with liberty and privacy. Outcomes will include an academic publication, a popular publication, advice to government and a series of research questions.

Primary purposes of this conference will be to raise awareness of ethical issues associated with emerging infectious diseases and to increase relevant dialogue among medical scientists, policymakers, and bioethicists. Additional goals of the conference are to map out areas of inquiry in need of further research, and to develop ideas for a collaborative grant proposal for a project resulting in policy advice to government.