UK ups focus on disease prevention

It aims to tackle some of the major health problems in the UK, such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease, by investing in research into disease prevention through the new National Prevention Research Initiative (NPRI).

This initiative is made up of the 19 largest organisations from the government, charity and industry that undertake cancer research in the UK, including the Food Standards Agency and the Medical Research Council.

The initiative could directly benefit the health foods and supplements industry as it aims to research ways to influence behaviours aimed encouraging good diet and exercise as well as minimising smoking and alcohol misuse.

The new initiative comes in response to a National Cancer Research Institute report published today, which shows that research into preventing obesity and encouraging physical activity and reducing smoking rates in the UK is in need of greater investment. In 2002, the NCRI revealed in its Strategic Analysis report that only 2 per cent of the combined spend of NCRI partners was on cancer prevention research.

Yet smoking, obesity, and lack of exercise are risk factors for cancer and also for coronary heart disease and diabetes. Poor diet is also a known risk factor for all three diseases.

Professor Alex Markham, chair of the NCRI, said: "The new report has identified gaps in prevention research and helped to focus our attention on areas of scientific opportunity. The NPRI will bring together experts across a wide range of science to develop new multidisciplinary approaches to tackling complex research questions."​

The Medical Research Council will manage the new initiative.