ESCAIDE 2023: Revisiting the concept of prevention of communicable diseases

This session aims to reflect on the scope of the concept of ‘prevention’ and its complexities, as well as how it relates to preparedness. The audience heard from a diverse panel of experts about the challenges, potentials and lessons learned from different disease areas – including non-communicable diseases – and the application and relevance of social and behavioural sciences in communicable disease prevention. The session also explored the role of Public Health professionals in defining and addressing diverse prevention needs in different population groups, as well as the role of community engagement in communicable disease prevention.