Primary Prevention Strategies

Strategies Used in Primary Prevention

• Primary prevention involves two complementary strategies: population strategy and high-risk individual strategy.
• Population strategy focuses on the whole population, aiming to reduce average risk, and is directed towards socioeconomic, behavioral, and lifestyle changes.
• High-risk individual strategy focuses on individuals at high risk due to particular exposure, requiring detection of individuals at risk, but is of limited effect.

Examples of Primary Prevention

• Immunization is a primary prevention tool, which has reduced the incidence of immunizable diseases and led to the eradication of smallpox and the elimination of polio and tetanus.
• Use of disposable syringes has prevented the spread of hepatitis B and HIV infection.
• Condoms have been used to prevent HIV infection.
• Washing hands and wearing protective masks are universally used to prevent Covid-19.
• Sanitation programs, such as safe water supply, sewage disposal, and protection of food and milk, can prevent diseases transmitted by common vehicles.
• Vector control measures can prevent diseases transmitted by vectors mechanically (e.g., typhoid and hepatitis A) or biologically (e.g., yellow fever and malaria).