Stages of prevention Dr Rotimi Adigun

Primordial Primary Secondary Tertiary

Primordial Prevention Relatively new concept(1 st used in 1978 by Glasser) Aims to prevent or eliminate risk factors rather than changing behavior to cope with risk factors Examples: Build more playgrounds in schools, Ensure walkways and parks,Make students walk from car parks to classrooms,Tax tobacco products,restrict tobbacco sales to minors,ban adverts targetting minors. ETC

Primordial Prevention Examples: Build more playgrounds in schools, Ensure walkways and parks, Make students walk from car parks to classrooms, Tax tobacco products, restrict tobacco sales to minors, ban adverts targeting minors. ETC

Primordial Prevention The focus of primordial prevention is at the level of policy, population and the doctor patient interaction. Primordial prevention emphasizes a broad sphere of influences compared to primary prevention which targets the individuals response to risk factors. For example banning alcohol or preventing sales of alcohol at certain times is an example of primordial prevention. whereas carrying out a massive public health campaign against drinking would be primary prevention.

Primary prevention Focuses on preventing specific diseases through risk reduction activities or enhancement of immunity. Examples Usually achieved by vaccination, Prevention of exposure, Dental hygiene to prevent carries, tobacco cessation ETC.

Primary prevention The use of gardasil(a vaccine against HPV virus) to prevent cervical cancer and genital warts is an example of primary prevention

Secondary Prevention Early detection and treatment Usually detection of pre-clinical pathological findings. Examples The Papanicolou stain(PAP smear) for cervical cancer Mammography for Breast cancer

Secondary Prevention Secondary prevention seeks to identify potential dangerous diseases at a very early stage when treatment and complete cure may still be possible. Secondary prevention works for diseases that have a relatively long “latency period”

Tertiary prevention Treatment and management of complications arising from a disease. Tertiary prevention is applied once a disease is clinically overt. Aims to achieve the following: Improve quality of life, ameliorate symptoms, promote longevity and sometimes rehabilitation of the patient.

Tertiary prevention Examples of Tertiary Prevention -Checking for eye diseases in a diabetic patient - Preventing recurrence of heart attack in a patient with a previous infarction -Preventing gangrene in a patient with diabetic foot.