“Prevention is Better than Cure” Out of a Country Health Budget- IELTS Writing Task 2

“Prevention is better than cure”. Out of a country’s health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and preventive measures. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Outline

Essay Type

Opinion essay

Introduction

Sentence 1&2 – Paraphrase the topic with the use of synonyms, possibly with examples as well.

Sentence 3 – Mention that you agree with governments needing to spend more on preventive measures spending.

Body Paragraphs

Paragraph 1 – Mention how prevention is easier and affordable than cure. Cite some examples if possible to back your reasoning. Talk about how it saves money which can further be used elsewhere.

Paragraph 2 – Continue on the same note and further explore the benefits of preventive measures when compared to cure. Talk about how being proactive can help save money and possibly increase the lifestyle standards too.

Paragraph 3 – Acknowledge that these arguments often lack a proper foundation, but emphasise on the importance of being proactive rather than be reactive.

Conclusion

Restate your views.

Sample Essay

With the COVID crisis putting stress on health and wellbeing, the adage, “Prevention is better than cure”, is often highlighted. Many have argued whether governments across the world are doing enough to facilitate optimal healthcare and health education for the people, while some are asking these efforts to be stepped up further. I agree with the latter.

First and foremost, “prevention” is easier and more affordable than “cure.” Surgeries and therapies are indeed very costly but preventable. If prevented, the money saved for these procedures can be utilised to promote safer living practices and similar issues. For instance, if a campaign on healthy living is planned to generate consciousness among youth, funds should be used for spreading awareness on the problem related to obesity, heart diseases and other issues rather than waiting for it to strike and then expend on the treatment. Furthermore, the additional cost can be utilised for other developments and critical services, like transportation, development of healthcare infrastructure, etc.

Further, promoting healthy living benefits people as well as a nation in the long run. For instance, promoting outdoor sports and exercise from a young age ensures that children imbibe the criticality of a healthy physique. Similarly, an anti-smoking campaign would enlighten teenagers, who are considered the most vulnerable to smoking, and potentially save a huge sum of money that can be used elsewhere.

It is true that such arguments are often done from an emotional perspective rather than being based on facts and a thorough blueprint, as people tend to talk about health predominantly when they suffer from illness and fail to follow the steps formulated by the government or concerned health ministry. But one cannot deny that being proactive is indeed more effective and beneficial for everyone involved in the questioning.

Hence, there should be a greater emphasis on prevention than it is on the cure as it is not only cost-effective but also is a path towards a better lifestyle.

Vocabulary 

• Wellbeing

Meaning – the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy.
Example – Mental wellbeing is as important as physical wellbeing.

• Adage

Meaning – a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth.
Example – “Old is gold” is a very old, but still relevant adage.

• Facilitate

Meaning – make (an action or process) easy or easier.
Example – There are many guides and e-platforms to facilitate your IELTS preparation.

• Boon

Meaning – a thing that is helpful or beneficial.
Example – Having someone to confide in is a boon.

• Optimal

Meaning – best or most favorable.
Example – Machines are serviced often to ensure they give optimal performance.

• Criticality

Meaning – crucial importance.
Example – People often oversee the criticality of proper civic sense.

• Imbibe

Meaning – intake, absorb.
Example – Students imbibe a lot of new learnings from their teachers.

• Proactive

Meaning –  creating or controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened.
Example – “Why worry about the problem when you can proactively deal with it?”

• Astronomical

Meaning – (of an amount) extremely large.
Example – His stock market knowledge has reaped in astronomical profits.

• Emphasis

Meaning – special importance, value, or prominence given to something.
Example – Emphasis on extracurricular activities should be given more importance.