Prevention
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Contents
Definitions
European Definitions
All medical measures, health or other actions (e.g. social, political, economic) that reduce exposure or other risks, prevent the onset of a disease or a health event or limit the development, exacerbation, and ensure its demise [1].
[In the RN field], the term “prevention” is also used to describe the first line of protection against nuclear terrorism. Prevention includes measures to protect nuclear and other radioactive materials against theft or other form of loss of control, illegal possession, smuggling, and unauthorized use, as well as measures to protect nuclear installations and transport against sabotage and other malicious acts that can result in radiation exposure to the general public or the environment [1].
Other International Definitions
UNISDR
Prevention (i.e. disaster prevention) expresses the concept and intention to completely avoid potential adverse impacts through action taken in advance. Examples include dams or embankments that eliminate flood risks, land-use regulations that do not permit any settlement in high risk zones, and seismic engineering designs that ensure the survival and function of a critical building in any likely earthquake. Very often the complete avoidance of losses is not feasible and the task transforms to that of mitigation. Partly for this reason, the terms prevention and mitigation are sometimes used interchangeably in casual use.
National Definitions
USA
The term "prevention" refers to
those capabilities necessary to avoid, prevent, or stop a threatened or actual act of terrorism. Prevention capabilities include, but are not limited to, information sharing and warning; domestic counterterrorism; and preventing the acquisition or use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). For purposes of the prevention framework called for in this directive, the term "prevention" refers to preventing imminent threats [3].
