2009 Press Releases

Treatment still takes precedence over prevention
24.09.2009

It has been suggested that in the history of mankind few ideas have attracted such support in the abstract and neglect in practice as the primacy of prevention.
In Ireland as in other developed countries world wide, there is heavy investment in expensive end-stage care in high technology settings while failing to invest in relatively inexpensive measures that would add quality years to life. There is clearly no fundamental conflict between treatment and prevention, the issue is one of balance. There is consistent under investment in prevention despite the overwhelming evidence that it works.  A conference on the topic “Prevention is the Cure” chaired by Professor Ivan Perry, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health will be held in Dublin Castle this weekend (25/27th Sept) with a panel of national and international speakers.

“The health of the Irish people has improved markedly over the last century,” says Professor Perry.  “For example, in 1913 infant mortality in Dublin was 157 per 1000 of the estimated population under one year. By the turn of the century it had fallen to 6 per 1000.  Even in recent decades we have seen substantial gains in population health with substantial falls in mortality rates from cardiovascular disease (CHD) and significant increases in life expectancy. For instance, between 1980 and 2005, CHD mortality in men aged less than 66 years in Ireland fell from 142 per 100,000 to 39 per 100,000. To put this trend in an international context, it is worth noting that in 2005 CHD mortality in men aged less than 66 years in  the Russian Federation was 242 per 100,000. It is now estimated that up to 65% of the fall in CVD mortality seen in recent decades can be attributed to population wide changes in risk factors independent of medication, largely changes in diet and smoking behaviour.”

According to Professor Perry we need to maintain our focus on these issues and address emerging challenges including the obesity epidemic in children and adults (a phenomenon of global fattening akin to global warming) and the challenge of promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in the population. Despite these impressive achievements and ongoing challenges, prevention is largely seen as worthy endeavour within our health system but not urgent.  “Given the current funding crisis, we need to look more critically at the relative cost benefits of prevention,” says Professor Perry.  “The ongoing controversy over the Government decision for the cervical cancer vaccination is a case in point.”

The purpose of the conference is to help redress the balance in favour of prevention within the Irish health system and wider society. The speakers will discuss a range of key issues in preventive medicine such as cardiology, diabetes, mental health, rheumatology, respiratory health, aging and health economics and health policy.  “The conference is designed to give a sense of how much can be achieved from a prevention perspective instead of giving it lip service,” says Professor Perry.

To register for the conference contact Mr Brian Deegan Tel 01-6650300 or visit mandcgroup.ie/ContactFormPrevention.htm

Picture shows Professor Ivan Perry, Head Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCC

RMcD



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