Health care reform has helped shift the focus from a disease-oriented health care system to one of wellness and prevention by focusing and emphasizing on wellness and disease prevention techniques. "Disease prevention, understood as specific, population-based and individual-based interventions for primary and secondary (early detection) prevention, aiming to minimize the burden of diseases and associated risk factors," World Health Organization (2023). Primary prevention refers to preventing the manifestation of a disease or infection which includes, vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis of children, adults and the elderly, provision of information on behavioral and medical health risks, and measures to reduce risks at the individual and population levels, inclusion of disease prevention programs at primary and specialized health care levels, such as access to preventive services (ex. counselling), and nutritional and food supplementation, and dental hygiene education and oral health services.(World Health Organization, 2023).Secondary prevention deals with early detection which improves the chances for positive health outcomes which includes, activities such as, population-based screening programs for early detection of diseases, provision of maternal and child health programs, including screening and prevention of congenital malformations, and provision of chemo-prophylactic agents to control risk factors (e.g., hypertension). (World Health Organization, 2023). Wellness and Health promotion includes, policies and interventions to address tobacco, alcohol, physical activity and diet (e.g.,FCTC , DPAS , alcohol strategy and NCD best-buys), dietary and nutritional intervention for malnutrition, intersectoral policies and health services interventions to address mental health and substance abuse, strategies to promote sexual and reproductive health, including through health education and increased access to sexual and reproductive health, and family planning services, public awareness campaigns on domestic violence, treatment and protection of victims, and linkage with law enforcement and social services. (World Health Organization, 2023). Healthcare will continue this trend by having access to healthcare to people by having health clinics, hospitals and rehabilitation within the communities so people do not have to travel far.The routine physical checkups and educating about healthy lifestyles hence preventing diseases and infections the will help keep the preventive trend. The role of the nurses in facilitating this shift is through educating patients, families and the community about wellness, health promotion and disease prevention. Nurse also facilitates access to healthcare for the people, educating about benefits of healthy lifestyles, healthy diet, providing resources for safe communities and also educating about screenings and immunizations and elimination of health disparities. "One of the most critical roles that nurses have in health promotion and disease preventions is that of an educator. Nurses spend the most time with the patients and provide anticipatory guidance about immunizations, nutrition, dietary, medications, and safety," Colorado State University (2023)
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