The main focus of prevention in health care is to stop health conditions from occurring (primary prevention). However, prevention also involves early detection and treatment to stop the progression of a health condition (secondary prevention) and management to reduce the consequences of an existing health condition (tertiary prevention).Prevention interventions can be at one of three levels.Primary prevention – the phrase “prevention is better than cure” is one that many people are familiar with and is the focus of primary prevention. Primary prevention is directed at avoidance and uses interventions that prevent health conditions from occurring. These interventions are mainly aimed at people (e.g. changing health behaviours, immunisation, nutrition) and the environments in which they live (safe water supplies, sanitation, good living and working conditions). Secondary prevention is the early detection and early treatment of health conditions, with the aim of curing or lessening their impacts. Tertiary prevention aims to limit or reverse the impact of already existing health conditions and impairments; it includes rehabilitation services and interventions that aim to prevent activity limitations and to promote independence, participation and inclusion.