On October 8, 2004 NECON, the New England Governors' Conference, Inc., and Region I, US Department of Health & Human Services will convene our annual region-wide forum of policymakers and legislators at the Westin in Providence, RI. As you may know, the New England Governors' Conference, Inc. has charged NECON to interact with health policymakers throughout New England and to submit recommendations periodically for the improvement of the health status of the region. We invite you to attend and be an active participant in this process. The conference is entitled The Science of Prevention.

Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D., President of the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, will deliver the keynote address: The Science of Prevention: Translating Discovery into Policy & Practice. 

Over the past two decades, the quality of sound scientific research on healthy behaviors and societal health policies has improved significantly. Recommendations based on this science are much more certain than they were twenty years ago. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 70% of all premature deaths can be postponed by health promotion and disease prevention. At the same time the cost and burdens of preventable diseases are immense and escalating. Yet, of the more than $1.5 trillion a year that we spend on health care, less than 5% is directed to disease prevention and health promotion -- activities that truly address the determinants of our health and enhance the quality of our lives. We believe we have a special opportunity to bring the relevance of evidence-based prevention strategies to the attention of New England policymakers and the employers that pay into our health care system.

As the agenda reflects, the conference will address this issue and the presentations will focus on actions we can take and models of successful evidence-based programs in the areas of:

1. Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS;
2. Prevention and Control of Obesity;
3. What Works in Substance Abuse and Mental Illness Prevention.