Interdisciplinary Approach for Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control
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Abstract
Disease prevention is a population-based and individual-based intervention for primary and secondary prevention, aimed at minimizing the burden of disease and its associated risk factors. These strategies aim not only to prevent disease occurrence through risk reduction, but also to address the complications of the disease as they manifest. The natural history of disease can be classified into five stages: initial, susceptible, subclinical, clinical, and recovery/disability/death. Therefore, disease prevention and control measures are aligned, designed to cover these five stages: 1) primodial prevention 2) primary prevention 3) secondary prevention 4) tertiary prevention และ 5) quaternary prevention. The dynamics of global change, including biological, physical, and social changes such as evolutionary biology, urbanization, aging societies, natural disasters, and climate change, have both positive and negative impacts on human health and quality of life, particularly emerging and re-emerging diseases and health hazards from the environment and changing lifestyles. These changing factors are spurring the creation and development of new knowledge, approaches, strategies, policy recommendations, and innovations for disease and health hazard prevention and control. This article compiles, analyzes, and synthesizes research works related to interdisciplinary approaches to communicable disease prevention and control by the authors and reviews relevant literature and research on interdisciplinary issues and communicable disease prevention and control published in academic journals both in Thailand and internationally from 1951 to 2025. "Interdisciplinary Disease Prevention and Control," which integrates disease prevention and control, health promotion, environmental health, occupational health, and other interdisciplinary disciplines, is therefore of utmost importance for public health professionals, medical personnel, public health staff, and other related interdisciplinary professionals in jointly creating a strong and sustainable health system and achieving the well-being of the Thai people and all of humanity.
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