What does disease prevention aim to achieve?

Disease prevention primarily aims to prevent specific diseases from occurring, which aligns with the principles of public health. This can involve a variety of strategies, such as vaccination programs, education about health risks, and promoting healthy behaviors that reduce the incidence of diseases. By focusing on prevention, the goal is to reduce the overall burden of disease in the community, leading to healthier populations and lower healthcare costs.

While identifying diseases in patients is important for treatment and management, it does not fall under the core objective of disease prevention. Increasing hospitalizations typically indicates a negative health trend or an issue that has already developed, rather than a preventive measure. Encouraging healthier lifestyles is certainly a component of disease prevention strategies, but it is broader and encompasses more than just the aim of preventing specific diseases. The primary focus remains on prevention as a means to reduce the likelihood of diseases manifesting in the first place.