evitables

Evitables is a noun used to refer to events, conditions, or outcomes that can be prevented or avoided with existing knowledge, interventions, or resources. The term is derived from the adjective evitable, meaning capable of being avoided, and is largely encountered in scholarly or public health discussions rather than as a common everyday label.

In public health and epidemiology, the closely related idea is avoidable mortality, which encompasses deaths that could be prevented through effective public health measures or timely medical care. While evitables is not a widely standardized term, it is sometimes used to emphasize the category of outcomes that are not inevitable and that policy, systems, or individual actions can influence. Distinctions are often made between categories such as preventable causes, which could be avoided through primary prevention (for example, vaccination, safety interventions), and treatable causes, which could be avoided through adequate medical treatment and early detection.

Examples commonly cited as evitables or avoidable deaths include deaths from preventable injuries (such as certain road traffic incidents), deaths from infectious diseases preventable by vaccination, and deaths amenable to timely diagnosis and treatment (such as some cancers or cardiovascular conditions). The concept highlights the role of health systems, policy, and individual behaviors in reducing mortality.

Critiques note that what is considered avoidable can depend on available technology, resources, and social context, and that attributing causality can be ethically complex. Nonetheless, the notion of evitables serves as a framework for prioritizing preventive and responsive health strategies.