A famous Latin quotation that is taken from Satire X of a Roman poet named Juvenal says, “Sit mens sana in corpore sano. ” Translated, this means, “A healthy mind in a health body. ” or “A sound mind in a sound body. ” This means that our mental functions are dependent on our body and vise versa. Without a sound mind to command the body, there will be no action. And, without a sound body, the mind cannot execute its plans. For this reason, the importance of health and wellness must never be overlooked. This can be compared to the state and its people.
The state is the mind and the people make up the body. Without the people, the state cannot exist. And, without the state, the people would not be able to move as one. As the people keep the state alive by having a living, giving service to those around them and paying their taxes, it is the state’s duty to ensure that they would be able to acquire their basic needs and that they would be given safety and protection. For this reason, the state must play an important role in the health and life of its people. First and foremost, the state should be able to keep its people safe.
Of course, this is not limited to forming the best army or the most powerful weapon. During these modern times, attacks from invaders are not as prevalent. Although there are some reported terrorist attacks and bombings from time to time, the deaths caused by diseases are greater. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), for example, is a pandemic that has killed millions of people. Chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart diseases have also caused a lot of deaths. Even worse, the family members who do not have this disease end up spending a lot of money for the treatment of the sick individual.
Because of the amount of care that the sick family member needs, their productivity as workers and tax payers become affected. They also tend to acquire debts due to the high amounts of money needed to pay for the hospitalization and medication. With the increasing number of people acquiring these diseases, a significant decrease in the productivity of the state can result to financial losses. Since the state subsidizes its people’s medical needs, it ends up losing a lot of money because of these diseases. Although it is good that the state spends on its people’s health, I feel that the funds are not being directed correctly.
It would’ve been better if the state invested on the prevention rather than the cure. After all, the cost of the former is lesser than the latter. In order to prevent chronic illnesses, the state should focus on educating the people. Diseases can be easily be prevented if the people know what causes them. The spread of AIDS, for example, could’ve been avoided if the people were given ample information regarding it. Aside from educating its people, the state should also have programs or even laws that would encourage or even force the people to take care of their health.
France, for example, has banned smoking in public places. In some Asian countries, workers are required to undergo some form of stretching exercise before work. And, in the UK, child obesity has become a form of neglect. Although each individual should ideally take care of his or her own health, many people tend to overlook this need. For this reason, the state must take the role of a parent that educates and disciplines its children in order to keep them from harm. This way, the need for expensive treatments and medications can be avoided and the productivity of its people can be maintained.