Press Releases

On 28 November 2022, the German Ethics Council publishes its Ad Hoc Recommendation “Pandemic and Mental Health. Attention, Assistance and Support for Children, Adolescents and Young Adults in and after Societal Crises”. In this publication, the Ethics Council recommends rapidly and sustainably improving the care for young people who develop mental health problems in crisis situations.

On 28 September 2022, the German Ethics Council debates in Berlin with adolescents about ethical challenges in the context of the Corona pandemic. During the event titled “Meet the German Ethics Council! Our Life in the Pandemic”, the participants address the question: How did young people experience the Corona pandemic and what can the Ethics Council learn from them? Large parts of it will be broadcast via livestream with opportunities for digital interaction.

On 22 September 2022, the German Ethics Council presented its Opinion “Suicide – Responsibility, Prevention and Autonomy” at the Federal Press Conference in Berlin. In this Opinion, the Council pursues three central aims: to create appropriate awareness of the complexity of suicidality, to specify the preconditions for fully autonomous suicide decisions, and to highlight the different responsibilities of various stakeholders in the context of suicide decisions and prevention.

How to deal with issues surrounding extremely expensive medicines in a just way? Who determines the prices, who pays them and who has access to such therapies? The German Ethics Council is holding its annual meeting at the Hotel Estrel in Berlin and via livestream on 22 June 2022, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Both with experts and the general public, the ethical challenges are discussed that arise when high-priced new medicines are used in a context of limited resources. One aim is to identify reasonable criteria for a sustainable and fair assessment, pricing and distribution of these drugs.

Professor Dr. phil. Mark Schweda is a new member of the German Ethics Council.