Research has established that the family is a critical variable in the aetiology, course, outcome, treatment and care of the health and illness of its members. Consequently, the significance of a family focus in interventions for health and illness at all levels of prevention and at all stages of the health-disease continuum cannot be ignored. A review of literature in cases of physical health and illness highlights that while such interventions, particularly at the secondary and tertiary levels of prevention, are well established in the West, the same is not true of India. Adopting a family focus in India's health care system should be treated as an urgent matter and acted upon forthwith.
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