Precision Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases

The demographic, environmental, and technological transitions lead to dramatic increases in the burden of Non-Communicable Diseases on health systems in Europe and Africa alike. Preventing disease has therefore become a necessity to save overburdened health systems from collapse. What are the prospects of harnessing a "precision" approach not just to curative, but also preventive care?

This workshop will propose a conceptual framework for Precision Prevention using molecular, individual, and contextual data to guide research, innovation, and practice. Pertinent experiences from Europe and Africa will be presented in "lightning talks" and discussed by participants guided by expert facilitators. Proposed priorities will be examined ranging from systems interventions across sectors to personalized behavior change interventions harnessing "wearables" data.

We intend participants to examine how a "precision dividend" will depend on multisectoral and multilevel approach to prevention, considering aspects from individual behavior to broader societal and environmental determinants of health. Achieving this will depend not only on scientific innovation but on overcoming the practical barriers in local environments posed by these larger social and economic factors. This implies not just targeting individual citizens, but also the environments in which they live, which shape their behaviors, and that actions will need to include policy and practice changes across several sectors, not just the health sector.