Some people say that government should focus on reducing environmental pollution and housing problems to help people prevent illness and disease. To what extend do you agree or disagree?

It is true that the government should pay closer attention to environmental

pollution

and housing problems in order to prevent people from medical issues. From my personal angle alone, I believe tackling

pollution

and housing problems are indeed able to improve citizens’

health

, yet other measures are

also

required to cope with people’s illness in the short term.

First

of all, one of the reasons to reduce

pollution

is that it has a direct impact on people’s

health

in many circumstances.

For instance

, air

pollution

may severely pose a threat to inhabitants’ life since they are prone to respiratory illness and other chronic diseases, for taking heavy smog in Beijing as an example.

In addition

, Poor air quality may

also

give rise to an outbreak of airborne diseases,

such

as summer flu more likely to occur, widespread and infect a large number of city dwellers, especially for those living in densely populated cities where without a good ventilation.

Secondly

, it is obvious that housing problems can influence city dwellers, predominately disadvantaged ones

in particular

, in aspects of physical and emotional. Those who are from deprived backgrounds are hardly able to afford decent places, and usually live in slums enduring terrible living conditions. Where sewage and waste are not managed effectively, is a perfect habitat for bacteria’s growth, where mice and cockroaches build their communities, provides the media for bacteria to spread, and where people are stressed and live under pressure in most of the time.

However

, if the authorities give priority to solve problems of environmental

pollution

and housing issues for the sake of public

health

,

this

probably will not have an immediate payoff as these are strategies in the long-run solutions.

By contrast

, investments in medical facilities and boosts to

health

care services can better provide instant treatments for patients, thereby alleviating their sicknesses and curing them sooner the better. In conclusion, I am of the opinion that profound changes in the environment and accommodations can truly prevent people from illness and diseases, but there is in no case should the government neglect the importance of

health

care services on residents’ well being.