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Promoting Health, Preventing Disease: Is There an Economic Case?

Promoting Health, Preventing Disease: Is There an Economic Case?
Merkur S, Sassi F, McDaid D European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Denmark. 2013


Project ID (Internal) 124
Project Status completed
Full Reference (text) Merkur S, Sassi F, McDaid D (2013) Promoting health, preventing disease: is there an economic case? Policy summary, 6. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. [The report can be accessed here]
Full Reference (URL) http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/55659/1/__lse.ac.uk_storage_LIBRARY_Secondary_libfile_shared_repository_Content_McDaid%2C%20D_Promoting%20health%2C%20preventing%20disease_McDaid_Promoting%20health%2C%20preventing%20disease_2014.pdf
Summary / Abstract

A core question for policy-makers will be the extent to which investments
in preventive actions that address some of the social determinants of health
represent an effi cient option to help promote and protect population health.
Can they reduce the level of ill health in the population? How strong is the
evidence base on their effectiveness and, from an economic perspective,
how do they stack up against investment in the treatment of health problems?
Are there potential gains to be made by reducing or delaying the need for the
consumption of future health care resources? Will they limit some of the wider
costs of poor health to society, such as absenteeism from work, poorer levels of
educational attainment, higher rates of violence and crime and early retirement
from the labour force due to sickness and disability?
This policy summary provides an overview of what is known about the economic
case for investing in a number of different areas of health promotion and
non-communicable disease prevention. It focuses predominantly on addressing
some of the risk factors for health: tobacco and alcohol consumption, impacts
of dietary behaviour and patterns of physical activity, exposure to environmental
harm, risks to mental health and well-being, as well as risks of injury on
our roads.
It highlights that there is an evidence base from controlled trials and welldesigned observational studies on the effectiveness of a wide range of health
promotion and disease prevention interventions that address risk factors to
health. Moreover, the cost–effectiveness of a number of health promotion and
disease prevention interventions has been shown in multiple studies. Some of
these interventions will be cost-saving, but

Publication Title Promoting Health, Preventing Disease: Is There an Economic Case?
Author(s) Merkur S, Sassi F, McDaid D
Publication Details European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, Denmark.
Publication Year / End of Project 2013
Last Accessed 03/01/2019 12:00 am

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