Preventive Health: An Urgent Need to Apply in Routine Practice

Dear Editor, Bhattacharya et al. wrote an editorial titled as “Why is Preventive Health Care Not Picking up in India?” in April 2026.[1] It reflects the ground reality of preventive health care in the present time when our country is already facing the triple burden of diseases. At this transition period, the concept of a preventive approach must be promoted in routine practice. Primary health care emphasizes health promotion, disease prevention, and community participation, requiring engaged and empowered individuals; this model is more effectively implemented in developed countries where awareness and utilization of preventive care are higher, whereas developing countries like India continue to face significant gaps, with limited awareness and a predominant reliance on curative approaches.[2] The present text mentions all the levels of prevention – from traditional one to recently framed like – Quaternary and Quinary level and also expresses the ways such as counseling, screening, and conducting health educational sessions, easily applied at the community level on a frequent basis. The main goal of preventive health care includes the early detection of disease by identifying the risk factors and reducing them, thus improving the disease processes. Due to this preventive intervention, morbidity and mortality rates could be reduced to very much extent.[3] Preventive health care helps in dealing both types of diseases – communicable and noncommunicable diseases. Certain initiatives emphasizing high-risk behavior such as smoking and alcohol cessation, obesity management, and mental health promotion also have demonstrated favorable outcomes in reducing disease burden and disability also, further improving quality of life.[4] Basically, it remains the cost-effective strategy in public Health. India has achieved major public health milestones, like the eradication of Smallpox and the elimination of Polio and neonatal tetanus, trachoma through preventive strategies, particularly immunization programs. In the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic also, using preventing modalities such as regular hand washing, keep social distancing, use of masks, and vaccination saved millions of lives. The present editorial also gives us insights about the practical hurdles faced by clinicians in real time during imparting these endeavors. It could be due to deep-rooted cultural misbeliefs and social stigma imbibe in people’s minds for many decades. In a systematic review, although there is no evidence of proving these preventive strategies in improving disease prognosis, but if these could be implemented from the beginning, then there would be chances of better outcome.[5] It is also written very nicely the triple role of doctor as a healer, teacher, and preacher as a key person for maintain the health as well as search for factors for its deviation toward illness. In spite of running attractive health insurance schemes run by the government, focus remains toward curative component. At the end, the authors pointed out the most pressing issue of ignoring this subject from the beginning, having no glamour at all. It is a bitter truth of considering this as highly neglected and boring subject in the medical curriculum. However, actually, as per competency-based medical education – National Medical Commission, all medical subjects are considered as “clinical.” So, it is also clinically relevant, even it helps in preparing the students to deal directly with the patients and their families.[6] As per my opinion, there is a dire need to reframe the subject and align with existing health needs, along with including AI technology as well. Because most of the time, teaching of its practical aspects becomes challenging to students. All of public health experts should make a consensus to uplift the value of the subject and emphasize the preventive aspect of dealing with health problems. Since ancient times, it is known by all of us that “Prevention is better than cure,” but no one is prepared to follow this care in routine practice. Ultimately, all of us must believe in “Health is wealth.” In a nutshell, it is the cumulative responsibility of individual, family, community, stakeholders, and government to promote/accelerate the preventive health care to achieve optimal health for the whole nation. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.