title: [Public health program planning through the capabilities lens].
abstract: As a theory of distributive justice, Amartya Sen's theory of capabilities questions the choices and decisions associated with the development and planning of public health programs. In this paper, the authors describe Sen's approach and explore its implications for public health by applying it to the case of tobacco control programs. Based on the tobacco control objectives set by the WHO and on the MPOWER package of measures, they notice that the translation of the objectives in capabilities call for a greater attention to the conditions of living of the different population groups. It also put into doubt the measures restricting access to tobacco products that do not account for their differing impacts on adults. The authors conclude that this ethical perspective is likely to be controversial as it may rank freedom as a value that overrides health.
authors.affiliation: Département sciences humaines, sociales et des comportements de santé, École des hautes études en santé publique, avenue du Professeur-Léon-Bernard, Rennes, France. eric.breton@ehesp.fr
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Breton
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sherlaw
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D006288:Health Planning Organizations; D006295:Health Resources / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*; D011635:Public Health Administration; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control