Forebyggingsprinsippet

Forebyggingsprinsippet, literally translated as the prevention principle, is a foundational concept in public health, safety, and welfare legislation. It stipulates that mitigation of risk and harm should be undertaken at the earliest possible stage, rather than solely addressing consequences after an event has occurred. The principle is employed to guide policy development, regulation, and program design across a variety of sectors including healthcare, occupational safety, environmental protection, and consumer protection.

The principle emerged from mid‑twentieth‑century public health thinking, influenced by the work of epidemiologists such as Sir William T. Burchell and the World Health Organization. In the 1960s and 1970s, several national governments adopted formal prevention clauses into their legal frameworks, reflecting the belief that preventive measures are cost-effective and ethically preferable to curative interventions. In Norway, for example, the law on environmental protection codifies a prevention hierarchy that places maximal prevention at the top, followed by mitigation and compensation.

In practice, forebyggingsprinsippet manifests through actions such as risk assessment, hazard identification, health education, early detection screening, design standards that reduce vulnerability, and policies that incentivise protective behaviors. Evaluating the success of these measures involves both outcome metrics (e.g., reduction in incidence rates) and process indicators (e.g., dissemination reach). Critics argue that an excessive focus on prevention can divert resources from treatment or that some risks cannot be fully eliminated. Nonetheless, the principle remains a core guideline for governments and organizations seeking to reduce harm and promote public well-being.