IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Topic: Prevention is better than cure
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Contents
The Essay Writing section of the IELTS Writing Module can be a difficult task for many IELTS Aspirants. Thus, it is vital that you polish your essay writing skills before attempting the IELTS.
Below is a sample IELTS Essay for the IELTS Essay topic:
“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 preventative measures.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Outline
Essay Type
Opinion Essay
Introduction
Paraphrase the topic of the essay.
Clearly state the opinion and the contents of the following paragraphs.
Body
Paragraph 1 – Cases of deaths due to smoking are increasing which could have been prevented by proper health education. Many teenagers get addicted to drugs, which leads to many terminal diseases and finally, death.
Paragraph 2 – The governments have to do a comparative study on the money spent on buying expensive pieces of machinery for treatment to the money spent on preventive healthcare. The amount of money spent by an individual for treatment after the onset of the disease is very high.
Conclusion
Conclude the essay by summarizing the final view.
Sample Essay 1
Preventive healthcare is slowly gaining importance. The average life expectancy rate has come down, which has initiated a probe into this domain. Also, people from all over the world are urging their governments to allocate a considerable amount towards health education and preventive mechanisms. I welcome this outlook whole-heartedly. In the forthcoming paragraphs, I shall elaborate on the importance of creating awareness of health.
Recent surveys have confirmed that many deaths due to smoking could have been prevented by proper health education. Many teenagers get addicted to drugs, which leads to many terminal diseases and finally, death. This could be prevented by organising campaigns on health and making them aware of the ill-effects of drugs. Another leading causative factor in death is diabetes. The numbers furnished by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) are scary. Untreated diabetes leads to kidney failure. So the government has to protect people by educating them on lifestyle and conduct periodic health checks for free.
The governments have to do a comparative study on the money spent on buying expensive pieces of machinery for treatment to the money spent on preventive healthcare. The latter is more economical. The amount of money spent by an individual for treatment after the onset of the disease is very high. So the budget for preventive healthcare helps to improve the economy at the individual level. Healthy citizens will be more productive and contribute to the nation’s development. A classic example is the introduction of pediatric vaccines which have increased the mortality rates of children. Considering the success rates, it is worth investing in preventive operations.
Although, some people argue that it is an overload on the budget, it has to be implemented considering the long-term benefits.
In summary, governments should invest in preventive health care with a vision of creating a healthy world. Though we may not see immediate results, it would benefit future generations.
Sample Essay 2
There is no denying the fact that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. This is why it is being argued these days that governments should invest a majority of their health budgets in creating awareness about preventative measures rather than providing a cure for diseases. Since health education and awareness about preventative measures offer more benefits than providing treatment, this essay agrees that nations must concentrate on preventative instead of curative measures.
There are several arguments to substantiate this viewpoint. First and foremost, investments made in the prevention of diseases will save people’s money. Treating any sickness is becoming increasingly expensive these days. For instance, the prices of several life-saving drugs are rocketing sky-high. Similarly, treatment of any illness requires diagnosis but, in many countries, doctors show reluctance to use their knowledge and expertise to diagnose even minor ailments and instead prescribe patients many unnecessary and costly tests. This has made the incredibly expensive health care beyond the reach of many ordinary people. Therefore, if the government channels most of its health funds in the prevention of diseases, people can be saved from enormous health bills. Likewise, spending money on creating awareness about health will also reduce the financial/ monetary burden on the government’s shoulders. As government has to spend its limited resources on various crucial aspects such as providing education, developing infrastructure and conducting social welfare schemes, providing treatment to a large number of people at affordable prices in state-funded hospitals will result in a severe shortage of funds. To generate more funds, the government will have to either levy heavier taxes or reduce its spending on other areas. In both scenarios, the one who will be at a disadvantage is the common man. For instance, a rise in the taxes will give birth to inflation which will make it extremely difficult for people to afford even the basic necessities of life. Similarly, if spending on other crucial areas is curtailed, many people, who rely on governmental help, will suffer a lot.
In addition, despite the existence of a cure, the treatment for a malady can make life inconvenient in several ways as it can cause needless pain and suffering. In exemplification, treating cancer using chemotherapy results in many side-effects such as loss of hair, nausea, vomiting, skin infection, fatigue and so on. On top of that, some diseases are incurable and most often result in a person’s demise. A perfect example of this would be HIV which has no viable cure as of yet. Sometimes, therapeutic and surgical intervention fails to produce the desired results. Such failures make people lifelong dependent on costly and unnecessary drugs and also exert an enormous emotional toll on the patient and his/her family. Absenteeism from school and work due to various ailments is another good example to justify the argument that prevention is much better than cure.
Although it cannot be guaranteed that the funds directed towards prevention will yield fruitful results, it is undeniable that we need to try to implement such measures.
To conclude, a healthy citizenry is the real wealth of a nation. By preventing diseases, people can enjoy happy and peaceful life. In a world of scarce resources, spending money on developing costly diagnostic and therapeutic techniques is a waste as long as prevention of diseases is an achievable goal. Thus, it is far more judicious to spend money on prevention rather than cure.
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The surge in the number of ailments suffered by the elderly and the middle-aged is a matter of grave concern for the governments of several nations. The expenditure on public healthcare has seen a dramatic rise over the last few years, leading to the debate on whether more funds should be allocated for the development of preventive systems to eradicate this issue at the grassroots level. I am a strong supporter of this point of view. In the following paragraphs, I will explore my views on the topic and justify the same.
Today, conditions like fatigue, high blood pressure, heart diseases and obesity are more commonplace than they were a few decades ago. Moreover, such afflictions are not an outcome of genetics but are caused due years of neglect and ill practices during an individual’s youth. Thus, if effective means of educating people during their formative years, on the significance of inducing habits like proper nutrition and exercise, are implemented, the well-being of the entire community can be safely guaranteed.
Additionally, investment in the physical education of the young population is a crucial determinant of how future generations will perceive the value in maintaining a fit and healthy body. Therefore, when a youngster is trained in such a manner, they tend to share these principles with their family leading to upliftment of the entire household. Furthermore, the knowledge gained from a formal health education also helps in the identification of serious disorders early on, which can be vital in preventing such conditions from deteriorating.
Nevertheless, it is understandable that such measures will put a burden on the already stringent health budget and expenditure on better treatment facilities have a more immediate benefit. That being said, the authorities have to recognize the expenses on preventive initiatives as a course of action with long-term gains.
Finally, I would like to conclude by saying that the statement “Prevention is better than cure” will always stand true since the merit in the prevention of difficulties is not limited to us, but will also have a positive impact on the forthcoming generations.
More Writing Task 2 Essay Topics
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- People Should Follow The Customs And Traditions When People Start To Live In A New Country
- Some People Believe That Excessive Use Of Modern Technologies
- Technology Can Bring Many Benefits But It Can Also Cause Social And Environmental Problems
- Advertising Discourages People From Being Different Individuals
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Courtney Miller
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2 Comments
dss
Posted on May 22, 2022
Nowadays, it seems that health expenditures are becoming more and more problematic for most countries. Recent research suggests that an enormous amount of money ought to be spent on preventative works rather than cures. Although a plethora of reasons can be given for unjustified this, personally I strongly believe that governments have to put more money into protective health precautions and education. In the forthcoming paragraphs, I shall be discussing my viewpoints on this proposition.
Due to the scarce resources and post-modern lifestyle, people generally do not care what they eat. Thus, the eating habits of people are mostly unhealthy. For instance, they are consuming tons of junk foods which cause deadly health problems, such as cancer and diabetes. For this reason, the number of sick people all around the globe is rising day by day. In order to eliminate this issue, authorities should organize public events to inform people about what should they eat and how can they protect their mental and psychical health. By adopting new agriculture politics, agriculture policies should also be changed by governments. Public authorities have been giving permission to toxic chemicals in agriculture for several years so as to get more products. However, these products mostly harm human health.
Moreover, the medical industry as a key player in the health sector has the main financial burden on the health budget. Modern doctors have been giving advice to their patients to take several pills. For instance, every year people are using tons of antibiotics unnecessarily. If doctors give more natural advice such as drinking herbal tea, sleeping well, eating healthy, and doing sport regularly, most people can cure without swallowing any pills. Governments can do some sanctions against medicine corporations. Furthermore, the education system in modern medicine faculties may be diverted from cure-oriented to prevention-oriented. Today, ordinary cancer patients have to pay more than 1.000. 000 to be healthy.
However, some people claim that public authorities should pay more budget on treatment expenditures because prevention of health issues is not possible.
In conclusion, taking protective measures is cheaper than having a doctor’s prescription. I strongly agree that governments should have spent more money on protection instead of treatment.
Reply
kasturika
Posted on May 23, 2022
Band Score – 5.5
Concentrate on the correct usage of pronouns, subject-verb agreement and punctuation.
Some ideas lack expression. Learn error-free sentence formation.
Use C2 level of words.