Precision public health enables us to improve the overall health of the population by providing the right health intervention to the right people at the right time.

Technological advances have led to the development of new approaches for treating and/or preventing disease that are tailored to the individual, also known as precision medicine. These same technologies are ushering in the dawn of precision public health, which complements the field of precision medicine by expanding the focus on individuals to the population level.

Precision public health involves the collection of more accurate individual- and population-level data on genes, environment, behaviour and other social and economic determinants of health. These data hold the potential to enhance public health actions for improving health in sub-populations most in need of recommended prevention measures, and addressing and reducing health disparities in the population by utilising more precise data for action.