Primary prevention

Primary prevention consists of actions taken before disease begins to reduce the chance that it will occur, by limiting exposure to risks or strengthening protection.

Vaccination: Vaccination trains the immune system to recognize a pathogen or toxin and reduce the risk or severity of disease. It creates protection against infection before exposure leads to disease.
Risk factor: A risk factor is a characteristic or exposure associated with a greater likelihood of a health outcome. Primary prevention targets modifiable risks before disease develops.
Disease prevention: Disease prevention comprises measures that reduce the occurrence, progression, or consequences of illness. Primary prevention is the prevention level focused on stopping disease from occurring.
Secondary prevention: Secondary prevention detects disease early and intervenes to halt or slow its progression. Unlike primary prevention, it begins after disease has started, often before symptoms appear.
Water fluoridation: Water fluoridation adjusts drinking-water fluoride levels to help prevent tooth decay across a population. It reduces a common disease risk through a community-wide environmental measure.
Immunization: Immunization is the process by which a person becomes protected against an infectious disease, often through vaccination. It reduces susceptibility before a pathogen can establish infection.
Incidence (epidemiology): Incidence is the occurrence of new cases of a disease in a population over a specified period. The central aim is to reduce new cases, not merely manage existing ones.
Tertiary prevention: Tertiary prevention limits complications and disability in people with established disease. It manages consequences after illness, rather than preventing its onset.
Smoking cessation: Smoking cessation is the process of stopping tobacco use and avoiding its return. Stopping tobacco use prevents future exposure to a major cause of disease.
Health promotion: Health promotion enables people and communities to increase control over the conditions affecting their health. It builds protective conditions and capabilities before illness occurs.

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