Only after an inoculation was available that prevented the disease from occurring in the first place were we able to virtually eliminate smallpox. Prevention includes building people s resistance to problems. Treating malaria victims does not eliminate malaria epidemics. Since malaria is carried by mosquitoes, it is necessary to eliminate the carriers of the disease. Draining swamps where mosquitoes breed changes the environmental conditions that affect the spread of the disease.
Prevention includes changing the environment that feeds social problems.
Consider the prevalence of lung cancer or heart disease. One of the major contributing factors of both of these diseases is smoking. We can minimize the chances of acquiring these diseases by making a personal decision not to smoke. Prevention is helping people make informed decisions. The same theory can hold true for social problems.