Lawrence O Gostin
Biographic Data
| ID | 1317849 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Lawrence O Gostin |
| GIVEN NAMES | Lawrence |
| FAMILY NAME | O Gostin |
| SIGNATURE | GOSTIN L O |
| AFFILIATIONS | Georgetown University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5286-4044 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 117 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 80 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 113 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 4 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1987 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Safeguarding Quality in Health and Medical Science Information Today
The Supreme Court’s 2026 Term—Public Health in Jeopardy
This JAMA Forum discusses upcoming Supreme Court decisions and the potential damage to public health, including decreases in vaccination rates, in firearms control, and in the rights of sexual minority individuals
Making America Healthy Again
Chronic diseases impose enormous health and economic burdens in the United States, especially on marginalized populations, and demand evidence‐based, equity‐focused interventions. To combat chronic disease, the Trump administration established the Make America Healthy Again Commission, chaired by Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. However, the MAHA Commission appears to be both ideologically driven and scienti…
The Trump presidency
Global and national actions to prevent trade in substandard and adulterated medicines
Recent mass-poisoning events caused by substandard medicines placed in global markets raise the question as to what more can be done to stop it. Efforts have been underway for years at the World Health Organization and other multilateral fora, such as the National Academies of Medicine in the U.S. While these efforts have led to improvements, several gaps remain which, unless addressed, will allow this problem in international trade to continue. …
Threats to Vaccinations in the US
This JAMA Forum discusses vaccine distrust in the US, antivaccine messages from health officials in the Trump administration, and recent developments regarding vaccine mandates at the state level
Can a New Commission Make America Healthy Again
This JAMA Forum discusses the recently formed Make America Healthy Again commission and suggests a few key policies that align with ongoing federal programs and initiatives
Assault on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—Budget Cuts, Political Control, and the Erosion of Trust
This JAMA Forum discusses measures the Trump administration has taken against the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that include budget cuts and program eliminations, workforce reductions and hiring freezes, and suppression of scientific information
Personal Reflections on the Environmental Destruction and Degradation of Gaza
The World Health Organization was born as a normative agency
The World Health Organization (WHO) was born as a normative agency and has looked to global health law to structure collective action to realize global health with justice. Framed by its constitutional authority to act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health, WHO has long been seen as the central actor in the development and implementation of global health law. However, WHO has faced challenges in advancing law to prev…
Mpox
Public Health in the Crosshairs of Culture Wars
This JAMA Forum discusses the topics of reproductive rights, transgender care, firearm safety, and COVID-19 vaccines in the context of public health and the political climate in the US
The Supreme Court Disempowers Public Health Agencies and Devalues Science
This JAMA Forum discusses recent rulings made by the US Supreme Court that limit the decision-making power of government agencies to safeguard public health, ensure safety, and protect the environment
The 2024 Presidential Election—An Inflection Point for Science
This JAMA Forum discusses the erosion of public trust in science during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides ideas for improving scientific literacy and communication to increase trust in public health and science
Health Is on the Ballot in the Presidential Election
This JAMA Forum discusses the markedly different records and divergent campaign messages of the 2 major party presidential candidates on the issues of health care access, prescription drug prices, reproductive rights, migrant health, gun violence, health and safety agency powers, and pandemic preparedness
Public Health Legal Protections in an Era of Artificial Intelligence
Public Health Legal Protections in an Era of Artificial Intelligence James G. Hodge Jr JD, LLM, Jennifer L. Piatt JD, Erica N. White JD, and Lawrence O. Gostin JD Affiliation James G. Hodge Jr, Jennifer L. Piatt, and Erica N. White are with the Center for Public Health Law and Policy, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, Phoenix. Lawrence O. Gostin is with the O'Neill Institute for Global and National Health Law, Georgeto…
A survey of Covid-19 vaccine acceptance across 23 countries in 2022
The global health and care worker compact
BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, and recognising the sacrifice of health and care workers alongside discrimination, violence, poor working conditions and other violations of their rights, health and safety, in 2021 the World Health Assembly requested WHO to develop a global health and care worker compact, building on existing normative documentation, to provide guidance to 'protect health and care workers and safeguard their rights'. MET…
The WHO’s 75th anniversary
The World Health Organisation (WHO) was inaugurated in 1948 to bring the world together to ensure the highest attainable standard of health for all. Establishing health governance under the United Nations (UN), WHO was seen as the preeminent leader in public health, promoting a healthier world following the destruction of World War II and ensuring global solidarity to prevent disease and promote health. Its constitutional function would be ‘to ac…
Making the World Safer and Fairer in Pandemics
Global health has long been characterized by injustice, with certain populations marginalized and made vulnerable by social, economic, and health disparities within and among countries. The pandemic only amplified inequalities. In response to it, the World Health Organization and the United Nations have embarked on transformative normative and financial reforms that could reimagine pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response (PPPR). These ref…
A critical juncture for human rights in global health
Fig 1), establishing a human rights foundation under the United Nations (UN), has become a cornerstone of global health, central to public health policies throughout the world
Title 42 Exclusions of Asylum Seekers—A Misuse of Public Health Powers
This JAMA Forum discusses the harms of Title 42 on health, the lack of public health justification for its use in the US and how it violates international law, and the proposed reforms to promote public health instead of border control
One Year After Dobbs —Vast Changes to the Abortion Legal Landscape
This JAMA Forum discusses state-level abortion restrictions and protections, emergency care, abortion medication, and abortion counseling 1 year after the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v Wade
The World Health Organization on Its 75th Anniversary
This JAMA Forum discusses key historical landmarks of the World Health Organization and proposes reforms to make the agency the global health leader it was meant to be
A Historic Moment in Global Health—“Futureproofing” the World Against Pandemics
This JAMA Forum discusses the International Health Regulations of the World Health Organization, political declarations of the United Nations, and a pandemic agreement proposed by the World Health Assembly and suggests 5 reforms that could improve pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response
The Built Environment and Its Relationship to the Public’s Health
The built environment significantly affects the public’s health. This was most obvious when infectious disease was the primary public health threat during the industrial revolution; unsanitary conditions and overcrowded urban areas facilitated the spread of infection. However, even today in the age of chronic diseases there remains an important connection between population health and the built environment. Physical spaces can expose people to to…
Reimagining Global Health Governance in the Age of Covid-19
Towards the Development of a Human Rights Impact Assessment for the Formulation and Evaluation of Public Health Policies
Lawrence Gostin, Jonathan M. Mann, Larry Gostin, Towards the Development of a Human Rights Impact Assessment for the Formulation and Evaluation of Public Health Policies, Health and Human Rights, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Autumn, 1994), pp. 58-80
Ethical Challenges in Preparing for Bioterrorism
Preparedness for bioterrorism poses significant ethical challenges. Although public health ethics and preparedness have received attention recently, health care ethics must also be considered. In epidemics, the health care system assists public health in 3 tasks: detection, containment, and treatment. Detection might fail if all patients do not have access to care, or if physicians do not understand their obligation to report infectious diseases …
Aids screening, confidentiality, and the duty to warn
The authors evaluate current proposals for the compulsory screening\nof selected populations for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus\n(HIV) as a means of controlling the spread of AIDS. They argue that, in the\nabsence of an effective vaccine or treatment, any public health benefit\npredicated on behavior modification among persons who test positive would be\nmarginal or counterproductive and would be disproportionate to the invasion o…
State and Municipal Innovations in Obesity Policy
Municipal and state governments are surging ahead in obesity prevention, providing a testing ground for innovative policies and shifting social norms in the process. Though high-profile measures such as New York City’s soda portion rule attract significant media attention, we catalog the broader array of initiatives in less-known localities. Local innovation advances prevention policy, but faces legal and political constraints—constitutional chal…
HIV/Aids, Reproductive and Sexual Health, and the Law
The law is a frequently overlooked tool for addressing the complex practical and ethical issues that arise from the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The law intersects with reproductive and sexual health issues and HIV/AIDS in many ways. Well-written and rigorously applied laws could benefit persons living with (or at risk of contracting) HIV/AIDS, particularly concerning their reproductive and sexual health. Access to reproductive health services should be a …
Jacobson v Massachusetts at 100 Years
A century ago, the US Supreme Court in Jacobson v Massachusetts upheld the exercise of the police power to protect the public’s health. Despite intervening scientific and legal advances, public health practitioners still struggle with Jacobson’s basic tension between individual liberty and the common good. In affirming Massachusetts’ compulsory vaccination law, the Court established a floor of constitutional protections that consists of 4 standar…
Informational Privacy and the Public's Health
Protecting public health requires the acquisition, use, and storage of extensive health-related information about individuals. The electronic accumulation and exchange of personal data promises significant public health benefits but also threatens individual privacy; breaches of privacy can lead to individual discrimination in employment, insurance, and government programs. Individuals concerned about privacy invasions may avoid clinical or publi…
Legal control measures for Aids
Legal control measures for AIDS: reporting requirements, surveillance, quarantine, and regulation of public meeting places. L Gostin, and W J CurranCopyRight https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.77.2.214 Published Online: October 07, 2011
Public Health Law Reform
Public health law reform is necessary because existing statutes are outdated, contain multiple layers of regulation, and are inconsistent. A model law would define the mission and functions of public health agencies, provide a full range of flexible powers, specify clear criteria and procedures for activities, and provide protections for privacy and against discrimination. The law reform process provides an opportunity for public health agencies …
Corporate Speech and the Constitution
In a series of recent cases, the Supreme Court has given businesses powerful new First Amendment rights to advertise hazardous products. Most recently, in Lorillard Tobacco Co v Reilly (121 SCt 2404 [2001]), the court invalidated Massachusetts regulations intended to reduce underage smoking. The future prospects for commercial speech regulation appear dim, but the reasoning in commercial speech cases is supported by only a plurality of the court.…
Pharmacy education about HIV and condoms
Pharmacy education about HIV and condoms. P D Cleary, A M Brandt, L O Gostin, K Mayer, T Ronna, and M CostanzoCopyRight https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.80.11.1395 Published Online: October 07, 2011
Judicial Trends in the Era of Covid-19
A pandemic can test and reshape health systems like no other event. The same can be said for the profound impacts of pandemics on public health law and governance. January 2023 marks the third anniversary of COVID-19. As the pandemic wrought devastation on health and the economy, public health officials exercised unprecedented powers, ranging from orders to mask, test, and vaccinate through to social distancing, school and business closures, and …
Aids screening, confidentiality, and the duty to warn
The authors evaluate current proposals for the compulsory screening\nof selected populations for antibodies to the human immunodeficiency virus\n(HIV) as a means of controlling the spread of AIDS. They argue that, in the\nabsence of an effective vaccine or treatment, any public health benefit\npredicated on behavior modification among persons who test positive would be\nmarginal or counterproductive and would be disproportionate to the invasion o…
Legal control measures for Aids
Legal control measures for AIDS: reporting requirements, surveillance, quarantine, and regulation of public meeting places. L Gostin, and W J CurranCopyRight https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.77.2.214 Published Online: October 07, 2011
HIV-Infected Physicians and the Practice of Seriously Invasive Procedures
The practice of HIV-infected physicians who perform seriously invasive procedures calls for professional guidance to protect patient safety and the privacy of infected physicians
Uncertainty, Accountability, & HIV-Infected Physicians
Pharmacy education about HIV and condoms
Pharmacy education about HIV and condoms. P D Cleary, A M Brandt, L O Gostin, K Mayer, T Ronna, and M CostanzoCopyRight https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.80.11.1395 Published Online: October 07, 2011
Towards the Development of a Human Rights Impact Assessment for the Formulation and Evaluation of Public Health Policies
Lawrence Gostin, Jonathan M. Mann, Larry Gostin, Towards the Development of a Human Rights Impact Assessment for the Formulation and Evaluation of Public Health Policies, Health and Human Rights, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Autumn, 1994), pp. 58-80
HIV testing, counselling and prophylaxis following sexual assault
The impact of possible infection with HIV in survivors of sexual assault has received little attention in the first decade of the AIDS epidemic. This maybe due, in part, to society’s conflicting attitudes and beliefs concerning STDs, AIDS, and rape. This paper (reprinted from JAMA) presents the proposals of the Working Group on HIV Testing, Counseling and Prophylaxis after Sexual Assault (USA) for the development of policies and principles of cli…
At Law
is a principle of political change, spurred by conservative activism, that seeks to limit federal authority and return to the states. It has taken on significant political importance in health care policy with contentious debate over which level of government should set standards, as well as perform and pay for services. Just as important, the Supreme Court has been engaged in a conservative project that fundamentally alters the balance between t…
At Law
The Supreme Court case of Pegram v. Herdrich,[1] decided in June 2000, refocused the debate on the nature of the managed care system in America. The legal issue before the Court was whether beneficiaries of an employer-sponsored health care plan can sue the plan on the theory that, in failing to provide adequate health care to its members, the plan breached its fiduciary duty under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The facts of…
At Law
During last two decades, states have sought to punish pregnant women for behavior that endangers their fetuses, often without success. (1) Prosecutors have used various novel legal theories, including child abuse and neglect, delivery and distribution of controlled substances, and involuntary manslaughter. Some states have enacted laws criminalizing prenatal drug use. (2) Other states have authorized necessary to protect fetus. (3) These measures…
At Law
Informational Privacy and the Public's Health
Protecting public health requires the acquisition, use, and storage of extensive health-related information about individuals. The electronic accumulation and exchange of personal data promises significant public health benefits but also threatens individual privacy; breaches of privacy can lead to individual discrimination in employment, insurance, and government programs. Individuals concerned about privacy invasions may avoid clinical or publi…
Public Health Law Reform
Public health law reform is necessary because existing statutes are outdated, contain multiple layers of regulation, and are inconsistent. A model law would define the mission and functions of public health agencies, provide a full range of flexible powers, specify clear criteria and procedures for activities, and provide protections for privacy and against discrimination. The law reform process provides an opportunity for public health agencies …
Public Health Ethics
Public health ethics, like the field of public health it addresses, traditionally has focused more on practice and particular cases than on theory, with the result that some concepts, methods, and boundaries remain largely undefined. This paper attempts to provide a rough conceptual map of the terrain of public health ethics. We begin by briefly defining public health and identifying general features of the field that are particularly relevant fo…
At Law
At Law
It is difficult to overestimate the devastation of the AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. In that region, 9 percent of all adults are HIV-infected. Africa will soon reach premature death rates not seen since the end of the nineteenth century. In eleven countries, a baby born in 2010 will live, on average, barely beyond his or her thirtieth birthday. (1) The rate of HIV infection among women attending antenatal clinics in sub-Saharan Africa rang…
The Law, the Market, and the Health of the Body Politic
Corporate Speech and the Constitution
In a series of recent cases, the Supreme Court has given businesses powerful new First Amendment rights to advertise hazardous products. Most recently, in Lorillard Tobacco Co v Reilly (121 SCt 2404 [2001]), the court invalidated Massachusetts regulations intended to reduce underage smoking. The future prospects for commercial speech regulation appear dim, but the reasoning in commercial speech cases is supported by only a plurality of the court.…
The Human Rights Of Persons With Intellectual Disabilities
This volume brings together two important contemporary social movements: human rights and disability rights. It analyses the global struggle to realize equality, dignity, and comprehensive human and civil rights for persons with intellectual disabilities. In twenty original chapters, distinguished contributors from a range of disciplines address the latest international developments in the field. These include international human rights standards…
At Law
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, product of broad coalition of persons with disabilities, was most significant civil rights legislation since Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ADA's explicit objective was to provide clear and comprehensive national mandate for elimination of discrimination against individuals with Disability and AIDS advocacy groups hailed it as landmark in protecting rights of all disabled Americans--a victory worth cele…
At Law
Liberals celebrated the Supreme Court's 2003 term for its support of affirmative action and its condemnation of criminal penalties for same sex intercourse. At first glance, the Court's opinion in Sell v. United States, appears equally liberal. The Court held that the government forcibly administer anti-psychotic drugs to mentally ill defendant only under strict conditions. Yet discerning liberals will notice not simply the Court's reiteration of…
The Built Environment and Its Relationship to the Public’s Health
The built environment significantly affects the public’s health. This was most obvious when infectious disease was the primary public health threat during the industrial revolution; unsanitary conditions and overcrowded urban areas facilitated the spread of infection. However, even today in the age of chronic diseases there remains an important connection between population health and the built environment. Physical spaces can expose people to to…
Rights Are Still Right
A growing philosophical backlash suggests that rights may not be right. For those of us within whose earlier lifetimes patients had no rights, and women only, sharply curtailed ones, this prospect is worrisome. Of even more concern to me, as a person with a disability, is the related thought that we should abandon extending rights to the disabled before people like me can be fully caught up. For without having recourse to rights, how are we to re…
At Law
ditions of confinement, civil rights, an d access to mental health services . 5 Two landmark cases by the Europea n Court of Human Rights (ECHR) hav e addressed the liberty interests of person s with mental disabilities. Winterwerp v . the Netherland sestablished that civi l commitment must follow a “procedur e prescribed by law” and cannot be arb i trary; the person must have a recognize d mental illness and require confinemen t for the purposes…
At Law
Severe acute respiratory syndrome garnered public attention because it was novel and its potential for transmission was unknown. However, the SARS corona virus is significantly less virulent than pandemic influenza infections. The Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 caused over twenty million deaths in a world with less than one-third of its current population. Modern epidemiologists now estimate that over fifty million people died, about half of …
Political science (96 works) · Law (74 works) · Medicine (72 works) · Public health (45 works) · Health care (29 works) · Economics (27 works) · Business (26 works) · Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology (25 works) · Pandemic (25 works) · Politics (24 works)