The financial burden of treatment and prevention of diseases has gradually risen within the recent past given the advent of various chronic illnesses together with financially draining ailments. The subject has attracted a wide body of literature and research findings on the feasibility of prevention and treatment. Furthermore, research has been conducted to find out which among the two is the more affordable option given that medical costs often cripple individual’s finances, in most cases leaving families bankrupt (Merkur et al., 2013). Prevalent findings in extensive research done on the subject reveal that the cost of prevention is significantly lower than the cost of cure especially for chronic diseases and conditions (Merkur et al., 2013). For instance, research reveals that over 200 billion dollars is spent on the cure of diabetes, heart disease and stroke, a cost that would have been evaded by the implementation of adept prevention measures and procedures.
In addition to the financial cost of procuring medication and procedures, scholars have pointed out to the social burden that the control and cure of diseases impacts upon the society (Waidmann et al., 2011). During the treatment of diseases, especially chronic diseases, a wide array of individuals are involved in the treatment in different capacities, for instance housing the sick, purchase of medication, all which drain the finances of the caretakers (Waidmann et al., 2011). Most families are therefore left unable to cater for the various needs and wants given the fact that a majority of the available resources are committed to treatment of the ailing individual.
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Moreover, research implies that prevention of some chronic illnesses has exhibited impressive success rates of up to 71% for diseases such as diabetes (Waidmann et al., 2011). However, the treatment and control proves to limit growth of the disease by only 25% at best and 5% in the worst case scenario (Waidmann et al., 2011). With these facts in perspective, the cost of prevention seems less than the cost of cure given the fact that prevention could prove successful while control only manages the onset of the condition, while cure is not assured for most chronic illnesses.
References
Merkur, S., Sassi, F. & McDaid, D. (2013). Promoting Health Preventing Disease: Is There An Economic Case? Retrieved from http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/235966/e96956.pdf
Waidmann, T., Ormond, B. & Bovbjerg, R. (2011). The Role of Prevention in Bending the Cost Curve. Retrieved from https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/27671/412429-the-role-of-prevention-in-bending-the-cost-curve.pdf
