No one wants to fall ill in the first place. Prevention, by definition, is the act of avoiding illness. To receive insurance-covered treatment at a hospital, a doctor must diagnose you with a disease. Diagnoses are based on specific criteria; for example, a blood pressure reading of 140 or higher is classified as hypertension.
Thus, those with blood pressure below 139 are not diagnosed with hypertension. But does that mean such individuals are entirely healthy? The answer is not necessarily.
This is why even with early detection efforts, it is not possible to identify individuals who fall short of being classified as ill. These individuals belong to what we call the “pre-illness zone,” as shown in the diagram.
People in the pre-illness zone are still in a position where they can return to full health. However, because they are not considered eligible for treatment, they are often left unattended.
While initiatives like health guidance exist, the public’s awareness of health issues is still far from adequate.
Ultimately, while health is a personal responsibility, improving the situation of skyrocketing social security costs, which threaten to bankrupt the nation, requires a shift in people’s mindset.
Of course, we do not deny the importance of regular checkups or the value of early detection and treatment. However, before undergoing costly health screenings, shouldn’t more attention be given to the significance of primary prevention?
After all, the essence of preventive medicine lies precisely in primary prevention.