As the average age of the general public gradually increases, healthcare programmes will play a vital role in society. While some people may argue that public money should be spent on treating people who are ill, I firmly believe that it should be spent on promoting a healthy lifestyle to prevent illness.
Compared to 100 years ago, the death rate of humans has significantly decreased. This is mainly caused by advancements in preventing and treating fatal diseases. Specifically, various methods of treatments were developed for every single disease. For example, a chest cavity problem can be scanned by x-ray or ultrasonography. However, these treatments can require a lot of money and take a notable amount of time.
On the other hand, prevention for diseases takes up much less money and time. In addition, prevention has improved throughout the past decades, similar to treatments. This has led to prevention being promoted and carried out more. For instance, washing hands and maintaining a safe social distance had been recommended by governments across the world to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This example also proves that prevention is more effective as the virus was already restricted before the vaccines were developed.
In conclusion, I strongly agree that it is important for public money to be spent on promoting healthy lifestyle to prevent illness rather than spending money treating people who are ill. As mentioned before, prevention is cheaper and less time-consuming than treatment. Along with that, governments can carry out disease prevention programmes easier, preventing disease outbreaks and medical crisis.