PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE

How to prevent diseases from spreading?

Human Society today is in neck-deep health problems. Some of the health problems are created by man himself. Others are caused by various diseases. Several new diseases led by AIDS are hunting men. Man is today on the run. The situation is becoming serious day by day. Life today is a struggle between man and disease.

How will you prevent diseases?

Human life is the noblest of all creations of God. The truest ambition of everybody is to live a happy life. But today happy life is not possible for the majority of people. The main reason is serious health problems. A happy life lies in perfect health and tranquility of mind. So, our first priority is to restore the good health of the people.

Full-fledged medical facilities available in cities are not within the reach of the majority of rural people. Even the facilities available in rural areas are not self-sufficient. In this light the best solution to the present-day health problems is prevention.

"Prevention is better than cure" is not a new slogan to us. Now, there is another important slogan "Prevention is cheaper than cure." So, the best choice for everybody is to prevent the disease. Prevention means preventing diseases. It also means arresting the course of the disease China's Emperor Huang Ti (2697 - 2597 BC) once said "The superior physician helps before the budding of the disease. This is the first recorded reference to primary prevention.

Later, Luis Pasteur of France (1822-1895) told his students "when meditating over a disease, I never think of finding a remedy for it, but a means of preventing it." It is said that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. People should accept prevention as a way of life. But we are not prepared to undertake this task. So, there is a need to change the attitude. We must accept prevention as a way of life. That is necessary for future survival.

A few examples will help us to understand the importance of prevention in our present-day society. There are about 28 million blind people in the world. A majority of them live in developing countries. Nearly two-thirds of all blindness is preventable. Simple measures can lead millions of people from darkness to light. Similarly, diseases like cancer, heart diseases, drug-alcohol-tobacco-related diseases, etc are easily preventable. People should accept healthy lifestyles.

Why does eating healthy prevent diseases?

Disease prevention and health promotion should go hand in hand. Prevention requires changes in personal behavior. It means healthier lifestyles. It also requires good dietary habits, doing regular exercises, etc. There are problems in practicing prevention. It requires cooperation between individuals, family, and the community.

About 80% of the diseases are spread through unclean drinking water and unhygienic living conditions. So, improvement in living conditions is essential to prevent diseases.

Diarrhoeal diseases are among the leading causes of childhood death in South East Asia. Each year more than 400 million cases of diarrhea would occur. It has been found that preventive measures are effective to stop this disease. This includes the promotion of breastfeeding and improving water supply and sanitation. Promoting personal hygiene, immunization and oral rehydration (ORT) will help a lot to prevent this disease.

Ways to prevent diseases from spreading?

Immunization is the best method to prevent diseases in children. Children can be effectively immunized against various diseases like measles, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, and tuberculosis. All facilities for immunization are now available in developing countries.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases are other major health problems today. Now sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are also linked to AIDS. Untreated prolonged STD cases may give chances of AIDS infection. These diseases can be prevented with self-control and disciplined family life.

Prevention should be an integral part of future health care. Most of the diseases afflicting man today are preventable. Some of them can be arrested in the initial stages themselves. The majority of people are falling victim to preventable diseases. So, prevention is the best choice for us today.

Prevention is cheaper than cure also. If this is not done, there will be massive erosion of the health of the nation. So, we should prevent all routes of infection at home, at schools, workplaces, and in open places. Then, the following are important aspects of prevention.

What prevents illness?

HEALTH IS WEALTH

(1) Availability of clean drinking water.

(2) Sanitational facilities.

(3) Good drainage system and disposal of garbage, waste at distant places.

(4) Prevention of pollution.

(5) Personal hygiene, self-control, and healthy lifestyles.

(6) Keeping away tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.

(7) Immunization of all children.

(8) Health education at schools.

(9) Well-equipped primary health care center.

To achieve this goal, the Government, voluntary organizations, and the community should work as partners of health care.