SL Practice Essay Planning

10/15 mark essay prompt:

For all communities, the prevention of disease is at least as important as its treatment. Discuss this
statement, referring to one or more examples of disease.
Important definitions:
Prevention: the action of stopping something from happening or arising
Treatment: medical care given to a patient for an illness or injury
Disease: a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that
produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct
result of physical injury
Quick summary of divergent views:

Prevention
Consists of measures taken for disease
prevention (opposed to disease treatment)
Disease prevention relies on anticipatory
actions
Encompasses health promotion activities
that encourage healthy living
Embraces early detection efforts, such as
screening at risk populations, as well as
strategies for appropriate management of
existing diseases and related complications.

Treatment

A doctor's job is to treat his/her

patient
He/she will prescribe medications.
The patient will have to keep going
back for prescriptions for the rest of
his/her life because there is no cure.
The patient will also have to deal
with issues like long-term health
complications, health insurance
concerns, and even social
discrimination.

Thesis statement:
Taking steps to prevent a disease from developing in the first place may lead to earlier diagnoses, resulting in
earlier treatment and potentially a better survival rate. This will be more cost effective and will save more
people as the disease outbreak would be prevented and not spread to other places causing a global
epidemic. It also prevents the discomfort of becoming sick and takes less effort to prevent something than to
cure it.
Named Case Study
General Details

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

Malaria in Sri Lanka

Malaria is an endemic disease that has always been in certain geographic areas
Malaria is actually a disease that can be (and has been) eradicated from geogra
There is a very strong correlation between poverty and incidence/spread of Mala
Development is the key barrier to Malaria.

LOCATION/SCALE
(Spatial Context)

Social
Spreads awareness

Social
lack of awareness
low education

Named Case Study

General Details

Positive ISSUES / Facts+Figures

Economic
Environmental
Aid from other countries
Increase in tourism after
malaria decreases in the
A lot of research projects
country
supported by the
government
Research projects
supported by external aid

Negative ISSUES / Facts+Figures

Economic
Environmental
low quality housing
Mosquitoes gain access
low income
More standing water
lack of healthcare
Additional diseases
labor intensive employment

HIV in South Africa

LOCATION/SCALE
(Spatial Context)

Malaria is present in rural parts of Sri Lan

The risk is variable, being greatest in the
There is no malaria transmission in Colom

According to researchers, two viruses cause Aids, namely HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV
world, whereas HIV-2 is most commonly found in West Africa.
These viruses belong to a family called the retroviruses.
They are unique viruses in that they are able to insert their genetic material into
that they have infected.
In this way they are able to infect a person for the rest of that person's life.

The 2007 UNAIDS reported that 5,700,000 (estimated) South Africans has HIV/
48 million).

The number of infected is larger than in any other single country in the world.

In 2007, only 28% of people in South Africa with advanced HIV/AIDS were recei

In 2004, 2005 and 2006 the figures were 4%, 15% and 21% respectively

By 2009, nearly 1 million or about 2% of all adult South Africans were receiving

In 2010, an estimated 280,000 South Africans died from the effects of HIV/AIDS

In ten years proceeding, it is estimated that between 42% and 47% of all deaths

Although new infections among mature age groups in South Africa remain high,
the decline. HIV/AIDS prevalence figures in the 1519 year age group for 2005,
respectively.

Social
People are more aware about
public health

Social
lack of education
sexual violence
poverty
overall life expectancy falling

Positive ISSUES / Facts+Figures

Economic
Environmental
Increased private sector
Healthier people
demand for health services
Lower population = lower
expenditure
Aid from other countries

Negative ISSUES / Facts+Figures

Economic
Environmental
reduces the taxable population
Resource scarcity
prevention and treatment costs
over nations medical budgets

Evidence based Evaluation:

Nowadays, many people are dying from various types of things, most commonly health related problems
such as coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis, diabetes and many more. This happens due to the lack of
appropriate health education and preventive actions that could have been done before he/she is being
diagnosed with the problem. This is why a government should spend a huge amount of money from health
budget for cure-related education as well as preventive measure. This can be proven more effective in lots of
ways, both economically and for the health aspects of people. Many authorities spend tons of money in order
to treat their people who are suffering from different types of serious diseases. This could be diminished
when the government spends money on health education instead. For example, if they educate people on
how to prevent malaria or HIV, people would know what to do and will be not attacked by those severe
diseases. This could save a large amount of money and would benefit both the government and the citizens.
Before health problems occur, the government could also take some preventive measure for several types of
diseases like diabetes and heart diseases such as the encouragement of sports and exercise. Making parks
for elderlies and adults and playgrounds for children can influence people to do exercise and protect people
from these sicknesses. All of these could be achieved by investing money in preventive measures from
health budget. In conclusion, prevention is better in treatment in many different aspects, which could lead, in
the decreasing and new outbreaks of diseases.

Bibliography

"What In The Health Is Public Health? Treatment Vs. Prevention: UCLA Fielding School Of Public
Health". YouTube. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.
"The Impact Of HIV/AIDS On Rural Households And Land Issues In Southern And Eastern Africa".
Fao.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.
"AIDS In Africa Global Issues". Globalissues.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.
"Malaria Ib Food And Health". Slideshare.net. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.
"Tap | Biomedical Research | Research | HIV/AIDS | CDC". Cdc.gov. N.p., 2016. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.
"Causes Of HIV/Aids". Health24. N.p., 2013. Web. 25 Aug. 2016.
Scotland, Health. "Sri Lanka Malaria Map - Fit For Travel". Fitfortravel.nhs.uk. N.p., 2016. Web. 25
Aug. 2016.
Posters we made in class