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Preventive medicine as a specialty to support public health endeavours
Abstract
There is a worldwide need for the transformation of primary healthcare to accommodate ageing, population growth, the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and technological advances. In this article, we discuss the role of preventive medicine as a medical specialty in the transformation of public healthcare systems. A paradigm is proposed within which different modes of medical practice support each other in accordance with their shared objective of disease prevention. The reinstitution of preventive medicine as a specialty, functioning in synergy with public health and incorporating other modalities of practice, will be of considerable benefit to healthcare in southern Africa.
Authors' affiliations
J Martins, Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, and Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa; Institute of Integrative Medicine, Pretoria, South Africa
C Whyte, Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Health Systems and Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, and Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa
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Article History
Date published: 2020-08-14
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