Challenges to registry-based epidemiology in post-modernistic civilization

To account, in a proper epidemiological way, for the nation’s births and deaths as well as cases of cancer has, until recently, been a hallmark of our Nordic civilization, if we can use such a term. Today, I have an increasing feeling that this is not the case any more. Unfortunately, we have seen examples in our countries that would support such a feeling. The title represents a challenge to the lecturer, and hopefully to the audience as well: In a booming economy, in a civilization drowning in oil, in which every decision, important or trivial, is based on supply and demand viz. our contemporary post modernistic civilization, epidemiology is not necessarily needed. Prevention of illness and suffering is not an unconditional, evident good. To survive as epidemiologists we have to make people realize that our civilization shall not survive without epidemiology and preventive medicine. To be more pragmatic and to use the terminology of our contemporary civilization: we have to make the community willing to pay for our services. I shall return to this challenge in a short while.