This 2001 paper in The Lancet notes: “Primary prevention is a public health concern and should be reflected in all public health policies and strategies. Yet ‘real’ prevention – stopping disease before it starts – is not prioritised by the government. Clearly, government strategies need to be ‘joined-up’, and protecting health and the environment should be the over-riding priority.” It adds: “Current health strategies focus on decreasing death rates, rather than reducing incidence.”

Jane Stephenson, Michael S Katz, Tatiana Tcherednichenko, Qing Wu, Helen Lynn, Diana Ward and Paul Ellis. Cancer care: What are the priorities? The Lancet, volume 2, number 10, pages 636–641, October 2001.