Crandi

Current Challenges And Opportunities In The Prevention And Management

Leo Migdal
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current challenges and opportunities in the prevention and management

Address correspondence to: Rosemary M. Caron, PhD, MGH Institute of Health Professions, School of Healthcare Leadership, Charlestown Navy Yard, 36 1st Avenue, Boston, MA 02129. rcaron@mghihp.edu This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Public health aims to promote health, protect population health, and prevent disease and injury through the core functions of assessment, policy development, and assurance.1 These public health actions, at various governmental and community levels,... Specifically, health promotion is a collective strategy that creates the right social and physical conditions individually, institutionally, and societally to improve the determinants of health and empower individuals to improve their health by increasing...

The effectiveness of these constructs is evidenced by the historical initiatives (e.g., Alma Ata Declaration), health equity initiatives (e.g., Healthy People 2030), and the greatest public health achievements of the twentieth century, which have... The breadth of health promotion activities includes systemic regulatory, political, educational, and organizational actions that result in conditions conducive to individuals, groups, and communities.10 The pandemic has had lasting, albeit not uniform, effects on... The healthcare landscape stands at a pivotal crossroads as 2026 unfolds. Escalating expenses, persistent labor shortages, and the rapid integration of artificial intelligence reshape how care reaches patients across the United States. Providers, policymakers, and innovators grapple with demands that strain resources yet spark opportunities for transformative change. With medical cost trends holding steady at 8.5 percent for group markets, according to PwC projections, the sector must balance fiscal pressures against the imperative to deliver equitable, high-quality services.

This moment calls for strategic foresight, where challenges become catalysts for building more resilient systems that prioritize patient well-being over reactive fixes. Aging populations amplify these tensions, as chronic conditions like cancer and diabetes surge among younger demographics. The World Health Organization notes that non-communicable diseases account for 74 percent of global deaths, a statistic that underscores the urgency for preventive approaches in the US context. Meanwhile, technological advancements promise efficiency gains, with McKinsey estimating that AI could save up to 360 billion dollars annually by 2030 through streamlined operations. Yet, these tools introduce ethical dilemmas around data privacy and algorithmic bias, demanding vigilant oversight to ensure they serve diverse communities without widening gaps. The interplay of these forces highlights a sector poised for evolution, one that rewards adaptability and collaboration.

At its core, the push toward value-based care emerges as a beacon amid uncertainty. Federal policies, including site-neutral payments proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, aim to curb reimbursements for hospital outpatient services, potentially saving billions while redirecting funds to community health initiatives. Such shifts encourage a holistic view of wellness, integrating social determinants like housing and nutrition into treatment plans. From addressing environmental changes to leveraging technology, public health professionals work tirelessly to protect and improve lives. Have you ever wondered how our health systems keep up with the constant changes in the world? Public health is always evolving, adapting to new challenges and opportunities to ensure healthier communities.

From addressing environmental changes to leveraging technology, public health professionals work tirelessly to protect and improve lives. In this post, we will share emerging trends in public health that are shaping how we prevent diseases, promote wellness, and respond to global health issues. Mental health is now a top priority in public health discussions. In the past, it was often overlooked, but growing awareness of its importance has sparked significant change. More resources are being devoted to mental health programs, recognizing the connection between mental and physical well-being. Schools, workplaces, and communities are now including mental health initiatives as part of their health strategies.

Strategic foresight is about exploring possible futures in a structured and functional way, typically combining several forward-looking approaches, systems thinking and interdisciplinary intelligence-gathering. The prevention of infectious diseases involves the implementation of interventions, either at population or individual level, which aim to prevent outbreaks and halt or minimise the burden of these diseases. Find facts, infographics, data, scientific advice and guidance on antimicrobial resistance. On World AIDS Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) calls on governments and partners to rapidly expand access to new WHO-approved tools including lenacapavir (LEN) to drive down infections and counter disruption to essential... Despite dramatic funding setbacks, the global HIV response has gained a remarkable momentum in 2025 with the introduction and WHO approval of twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention. LEN, a highly effective, long-acting alternative to oral pills and other options, is a transformative intervention for people who face challenges with regular adherence and stigma in accessing health care.

WHO released in July this year new guidelines recommending the use of lenacapavir as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option for HIV prevention. Sharp and sudden reductions in international funding this year led to disruptions in HIV prevention, treatment and testing services, with essential community-led programmes, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and harm reduction initiatives for people who... “We face significant challenges, with cuts to international funding, and prevention stalling," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “At the same time, we have significant opportunities, with exciting new tools with the potential to change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic. Expanding access to those tools for people at risk of HIV everywhere must be priority number one for all governments and partners.” Marking World AIDS Day under the theme “Overcoming disruption, transforming the AIDS response”, WHO is urging a dual track approach – solidarity and investment in innovations to protect and empower communities most at risk.

An infection prevention and control program must deal with emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance, constraints on facility resourcing, and surveillance and reporting requirements. By implementing infection prevention strategies designed to standardize processes and optimize patient outcomes, a hospital facility can face these three critical challenges head on. Emerging infectious diseases can spread rapidly and gain momentum to become endemic in certain areas or cross international boundaries, as most recently demonstrated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Antimicrobial-resistant infections can also quickly spread and are proven to be difficult, if not impossible to treat. Newly emerging infectious diseases, including but not limited to those pathogens conferring resistance often initially present with very little information on their modes of transmission, how to best detect/diagnose them, how to treat them,... This introduces significant challenges for infection prevention and control programs aiming to implement best practices to prevent and control spread.

In addition, emerging infectious diseases pose a significant risk to everyone, including healthcare workers, while information is still being discovered on how to best protect individuals and prevent exposures. In these scenarios, facilities must be prepared to respond quickly to protect the safety of all persons within the healthcare environment. The emergence of global pandemics and other large-scale emergencies have repeatedly highlighted an urgent need for healthcare facilities to maintain medical surge preparedness and surge capacity around the world. A medical surge occurs when the needs of clinical and/or patient volumes exceed the facility’s service limits. Surge capacity can be comprehensively defined as “the ability to obtain adequate staff, supplies and equipment, structures and systems to provide sufficient care to meet the immediate needs of an influx of patients following... Inadequate staffing due to shortages or high turnover can lead to unmanageable patient volume, delays in care, or staff burnout.

These factors promote serious barriers to patient safety, positive outcomes, efficiency, and healthcare worker satisfaction. Difficulties with educating staff and promoting the message “infection prevention is everyone’s responsibility” in the midst of competing priorities have been noted across healthcare facilities.

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