Dr Joan Madia

Prevention programs deliver remarkable returns: childhood vaccinations save $11 for every dollar invested, preventing millions of illnesses and deaths. Evidence-based interventions like tobacco taxation and sodium reduction cost under $100 per quality-adjusted life year, far more efficient than treatment. Yet prevention receives only 3% of healthcare spending, despite addressing most disease burden.

Socioeconomic deprivation influences how people access emergency departments, with differing referral routes linked to varied ED experiences. Improving access to primary and urgent care may reduce inequalities and support more efficient emergency care use.

Infections cause approximately 12% of cancers worldwide, with higher rates in low-income regions. Key culprits include HPV, hepatitis viruses, H. pylori, and Epstein-Barr virus. Through chronic inflammation and genetic disruption, these pathogens trigger malignancy. The hopeful news: vaccination, screening, and treatment offer powerful prevention tools, potentially saving millions of lives.