Risk prevention is the key to manage sudden public health risks,which are prominent in current society. A timely and effective risk prevention can control the damage caused by sudden public health risks within an acceptable range. By combing the origin,development and definition elements of the concept of risk prevention,this paper discussed the feasibility of applying the concept of risk prevention in the field of public health in China. Then,we selected the relevant laws and regulations of public health emergencies in China, gathered the risk prevention clauses to analyze their shortcomings,and then analyzed the practical difficulties of the concept of risk prevention in the field of public health. Finally,on the basis of legislation and practice,it provided an improved path for the concept of risk prevention to apply to the field of public health.