#33 | GMJ Podcast | Public Health Policy as Education in NCD Prevention — Commentary by Owen Thomas

In this episode of the GMJ Podcast — the officialpodcast of the Georgian Medical Journal, we present a newly published commentary exploring the broader role of public health policy in the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).The article, authored by Owen Thomas (Independentresearcher), examines how public health policy extends beyond immediate behavioural change and functions as a long-term educational and normative forcewithin society.While many NCD prevention strategies are evaluated basedon short-term outcomes, such as changes in individual behaviour, this commentary highlights the importance of considering how policy shapes socialnorms, public expectations, and health-related decision-making over time.The paper argues that public health interventions—including regulatory measures, taxation, and governance approaches—play a critical role in influencing societal values and collectivebehaviour. Recognising this broader impact is essential for understanding both the effectiveness and ethical legitimacy of public health policies.The commentary contributes to ongoing discussions on therole of policy in addressing the global burden of non-communicable diseases and supports the development of more comprehensive, evidence-informed strategies.Read the article:https://gmj.ge/index.php/pub/article/view/public-health-policy-educational-ncdDOI:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19046201Citation:Thomas O. Public Health Policy as Educational: BeyondShort Term Behaviour Change in Non-Communicable Disease Prevention. GeorgianMedical Journal. 2026;1(1):8–13. doi:10.5281/zenodo.19046201