The Medicine of the Future Is Preventive Medicine

The publication of the Romanian Journal of Preventive Medicine, in collaboration with MDPI, marks a pivotal moment for our professional community, bringing together specialists from all fields who can contribute to the development of preventive medicine—the medicine of the future. Without a doubt, medicine will shift its focus in the coming years from emergency interventions and the management of advanced stages of chronic communicable and non-communicable diseases toward the screening of preclinical conditions and the implementation of preventive measures that are capable of increasing the healthy and functional lifespan of the population, with major implications for public health.

As the Editor-in-Chief of the journal, I have the pleasure of introducing this first issue in collaboration with MDPI, in which we aim to present both scientific and educational contributions, reflecting at the same time the general picture of the Romanian Society of Preventive Medicine (SRMP): constructing a coherent and integrated system for health promotion and early disease detection in accordance with global standards.

This debut coincides with the successful organization of the First International Congress of Preventive Medicine, a landmark event that brought together more than 85 national and international experts across 11 plenary sessions, 11 symposia, and 5 practical workshops. The Congress created a much-needed platform for multidisciplinary collaboration, where specialists shared best practices, developed common protocols, and advocated for concrete measures in the field of screening and chronic disease prevention.

Among the central objectives discussed was the development of patient-centered care pathways—from screening to diagnosis and treatment—supported by clear, evidence-based protocols and quality standards for screening methodologies. The Congress also marked the launch of a strategic publication, The National Screening Plan. An Initiative of the Romanian Society of Preventive Medicine, which offers practical guidelines for the implementation of Romania’s National Cancer Control Plan (Law no. 293/2022). This document outlines methods such as national registry-based invitation screening, fixed-date appointment scheduling, and structured care pathways for patients with positive results.

It also proposes a legislative framework and communication strategies for the promotion of screening programs and vaccination campaigns. Furthermore, it calls for the establishment of multidisciplinary Regional Screening Centers within pre-existing healthcare facilities, in order to optimize existing infrastructure and resources. These centers are envisioned to provide, in a single location with dedicated staff and equipment, screening services for the five most prevalent cancers in the population: cervical, colorectal, breast, prostate, and lung cancer.

Although major organizational resources are still lacking for the implementation of organized population-based screening programs in Romania, recent developments are encouraging. These include government efforts to establish a National Cancer Registry and improvements in HPV vaccination policy: vaccination is now free of charge for boys up to the age of 18 and for girls and young women up to the age of 26. The Romanian Society of Preventive Medicine (SRMP) has played a key role in supporting these initiatives, including the Generation HPV Free campaign and proposals to expand the category of healthcare professionals who are authorized to administer vaccines.

While relaunching the Romanian Journal of Preventive Medicine (RJPM) under the MDPI platform, we aim to provide international accessibility and contribute to an interdisciplinary medical education platform in the field of prevention through topics such as vaccination, early diagnosis, and lifestyle optimization.

We hope to create a forum where researchers, clinicians, and policymakers can publish original articles, reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and letters to the editor that contribute to the advancement of effective preventive strategies. Interviews with leading figures who are helping to shift paradigms in preventive medicine will also be published.

Through this journal, we aspire to support the development of lifelong learning in medicine and contribute to the international community by promoting a proactive, responsibility-based healthcare model—one that prioritizes health before disease.

We understand that methodologies and strategies alone are not enough to ensure a longer and healthier life. These pathways require sustained advocacy, interprofessional collaboration, public awareness and acceptability, and—last but not least—a strong scientific foundation. The Romanian Journal of Preventive Medicine aspires to contribute meaningfully to this effort, emerging as a trusted ally and witness within the global public health community.

We encourage our readers and authors to join with us in this work—an effort to put prevention where it rightly belongs: at the center of healthcare and health politics.