BIOETHICS OF EQUITY. INEQUITIES AND SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ACCESS TO MEDICAL TREATMENT

Abstract

Equitable access to healthcare is a central issue in contemporary bioethics and public health policy. Fundamental ethical principles, such as respect for autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice, are often challenged by structural inequalities that affect vulnerable groups. This theoretical paper analyzes, from a bioethical and deontological perspective, the relationship between social justice and access to medical treatment, with an emphasis on the tension between equity and efficiency in the distribution of resources. Relevant ethical models (utilitarian, egalitarian, needs-based) and international regulatory frameworks on the right to health are discussed. At the same time, it highlights the role of healthcare professionals in promoting equity and preventing discrimination, including in relation to disadvantaged socio-economic groups or ethnic minorities. The paper proposes a critical reflection on the moral responsibility of health systems and physicians in reducing medical inequalities, arguing for the need for an ethic of solidarity in clinical practice and public policy.