Valuing Prevention

The Ebola outbreak draws to mind the importance of prevention, an often overlooked, under-funded part of health care.  When I attended the University of Michigan School of Public Health, we learned that over 90% of our health care resources are spent on acute care and the rest on prevention.  Yet, the greatest strides in human longevity and quality of life have been made in the realm of public health and prevention.  Things like basic sanitation, vaccinations and healthy lifestyles add more quality life years than most expensive equipment or invasive procedures.  Right now, there is no cure for Ebola, so prevention is absolutely key.  Yet, for prevention to work, the public must "buy-in" to the measures that must occur.  These measures, such as quarantine or mandatory vaccinations, often limit our individual freedoms, but as a society we weigh the loss in freedom to do whatever we want against a greater cause, such as a prosperous future.  Sometimes, when research and evidence support the loss in freedom for individuals, an entire society can benefit.