Benjamin Franklin once wrote that, in fire safety, an ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure. This proverb applies equally to the problem of guinea worm disease, a
painful, debilitating disorder that once affected millions of people. There is no vaccine or
curative medicine for the disease, which is caused by a parasite that lives in water. The
only treatment for it is painful and often leads to further medical problems. However,
nonprofits have nearly wiped out the disease by attacking it at the source of its
transmission. They teach rural villagers to filter drinking water and to stay out of rivers
and springs that are infected.
What is the underlying meaning of an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?
Several villagers are required to prevent the disease, but it takes only one to cure it.
The treatment for the disease weighs more than the water that is home to the parasite.
If the disease can be prevented from being transmitted, finding a cure is not as necessary.
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