Health and ethics : moral philosophy

The book Health and Ethics stems from the need to divulge the knowledge and emotions shared by students and professors during the first lessons of Moral Philosophy, led by Professors Pacifici Noja and Boccanelli. A spontaneous bond which had arisen amongst the two counterparts, led to an innovative model of creative interaction. The students, divided into 17 groups, had to choose among different themes suggested by the professors, according to their preferences and personal interests. The themes range among many fields, but they have one purpose in common: highlighting and studying the different relationships bonded between the physician and the patient. Therefore, the book was designed to be an important resource for the comprehension and the understanding of both the difficulties and the duties a physician needs to face, but also of the satisfaction and happiness which can arise from them. Foreword by Gianni Profita

Alessandro Boccanelli, professor of Moral Philosophy, received his degree in medicine and surgery in 1971 and his specialisation in cardiology in 1974. From 1979 to 1998 he worked at San Camillo Hospital in Rome. In 1992 he became Chief of the department of Cardiology. From 1998 to 2013 Chief of the department of cardiovascular diseases at San Giovanni Hospital in Rome. Currently he is president of the Italian Society of Geriatric Cardiology (SICGe). In 2013 he founded the association Salute e Società Onlus, which deals with welfare and the relationship between health careand social aid. He is the author of around 300 scientific publications on national and international journals. Laura Elena Pacifici Noja is professor of Moral Philosophy.

Since 1985 physician, she specialised in Anesthesia and Resuscitation, and in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine. Ph.D. in Infectious Diseases, from 1998 to 2016 she worked for the Italian Red Cross as the responsible for International Health Cooperation. In 2008-2009 she was Health Director of the biggest Asylum Seekers Center in Europe. In 2010-2011 became Head of IFRC Health and Social Departmentfor South Asia. Since 2000 she has been focused on the connections between women health improvement and human rights. She holds seminars at the University of Hamburg and participates in the Agrinovia project, led by the Faculty of Sociology in Ouagadougu, Burkina Faso. [Publisher's text]