Prevention & Treatment of Disease (DP IB Geography)
Revision Note
Written by: Grace Bower
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Prevention & Treatment of Disease
Prevention and treatment
Healthcare systems differ across the world
Some countries focus on prevention, whilst others focus on treatment
Preventative Healthcare involves preventing the disease from manifesting or spreading
General avoidance of disease contraction and spread
Quick detection of diseases to improve recovery
Anticipating disease to stop further development
Examples include yearly flu jabs or cancer screenings
The advantages of preventative healthcare include:
It helps to spot or diagnose some diseases early e.g. cervical cancer screening
This can lead to recovery as diseases haven't progressed
It can be cheap and easy to distribute e.g. education and health campaigns
It stops the spread of disease before it becomes dangerous
Curative Healthcare involves the treatment of a disease post-infection
Very effective with the correct resources e.g. hospitals and medical staff
Examples include antibiotics or chemotherapy
Curative healthcare is more common globally
The advantages of curative healthcare include:
Entirely getting rid of a disease or illness instead of just reducing the severity
Supports recovery from a disease
Primary healthcare combines both prevention and treatment strategies
Social Marginalization Issues
Social marginalisation is the exclusion of certain groups in society
Marginalised people may not be able to access or afford healthcare
This is particularly a problem where healthcare isn’t free
Immigrants may not be able to register themselves with healthcare providers easily
Poorer people are typically more at risk of Diseases of Poverty
Many Diseases of Poverty are preventable diseases e.g. measles or polio
Disease prevention is an ideal strategy e.g. vaccinations for measles and polio
If education rates are lower, disease prevention may not be as effective
Curative strategies would therefore be a better option
Government Priorities
Governments may prioritise curative healthcare
This may negatively impact ‘\people who need preventative treatment
Governments could improve by ensuring their focus and priority is on the provision of preventative healthcare for people who need it most
During endemics or pandemics, governments must minimise disease spread and develop preventative or curative treatments
In many cases, the cost of health strategies can influence government choices
Some treatment options are significantly more expensive than preventative measures
Governments may analyse how risky a disease may be
If the effects of the disease are not concerning, cheaper prevention methods may be adopted
E.g. there are all sorts of flu strains that come around each year
The UK offers regular preventative flu jabs for free or at a low price
Means of Infection
The means of infection can affect whether preventative or curative strategies are chosen
Communicable diseases are contagious diseases, therefore prevention is vital
With curative treatment, millions of people will contract the disease and be at risk of serious health issues or even death, before a cure is found
Non-communicable diseases may also benefit from preventative measures e.g. improving diets can reduce the risk of heart disease or high blood pressure
However, in much of the developing world, curative strategies already exist for many non-communicable diseases
If a new/unknown disease appeared, curative measures would be the only real option
If a disease spreads very quickly, then it would be too late for preventative measures
Some diseases in high quantities would need primary healthcare e.g. malaria
Prevention of disease could waste money e.g. screenings without disease discovery
Money could be funnelled into better curative medicine for people already suffering
Scientific Intervention
Without scientific intervention, many prevention and treatment options wouldn’t be available
Science has contributed to the creation of:
Preventative measures like vaccines for smallpox and hepatitis
Curative measures like radiation therapy for cancer
Scientific intervention and advice are vital for deciding which healthcare approach to adopt
Scientific intervention may guide government policies on global approaches e.g. to pandemics
Scientific bodies associated with charities and other non-governmental organisations may put pressure on governments to follow a particular strategy
Countries with more investment in scientific and healthcare sectors will be able to provide more curative and preventative treatment
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