PREVENTING DISEASE AND PROMOTING TREATMENT

Medicine is not just about curing disease; it is also about preventing it. Scientific progress has enabled us to broaden our understanding of the causes of diseases and to adopt more effective protective measures through health education policies. These use information boards and posters carrying a strong message to raise awareness among the public about public health issues and thus protect people more effectively. These means of communication promote vaccination campaigns and provide hygiene instructions and information on spotting symptoms, as well as on the precautions to take to prevent the spread of diseases.

The rise of the printing press was what really enabled this kind of healthcare messaging to take off. But since regulations were virtually non-existent at the time, abuses soon appeared. More and more advertisements popped up, using catchy slogans and exploiting fear to sell remedies, whether effective or not. New ethical issues came to light and it became clear new controls governing medical and pharmaceutical advertising were needed. Strict rules are now in place, such as requirements to list the active ingredients in preparations and to mention possible side effects.

This strategy of prevention, combined with the gradual structuring of advertising, has made it possible to limit the spread of diseases in the long term and extend life expectancy.