EDUCATIONAL APPROACH TO DISEASES PREVENTION: THE CURE OF THE FUTURE

Since the beginning of time, the human being has been involved in a continuous struggle for survival. Because of that, the resolution of issues directly affecting the development and the integrity of the human being (in every possible aspect) has been the major drive for the world community to create what we now know as "knowledge". But, ultimately, knowledge surged as a way to maintain and preserve the life of the human being. Or, stated in a more accurate way, to "prevent it" from being damaged. Prevention started to function as a way to protect specific aspects of the human being. Among those fundamental aspects in its life, we find health. Health has been one of the major concerns of mankind; not only because it meant suffering and despair to the human being, but also because it meant serious danger for the upcoming future life of the world. Nowadays, pathologies are the most cited problems that greatly affect the human being. For that, we have that "The best way to deal with a disease/pathology is not to treat it, but to prevent it". There are still pathologies that continue to be a "chronic" problem to mankind. A great example of this is "Cancer". Nowadays, it is not possible to cite a concrete cure for cancer; there are a lot of types of cancer and the disease itself keeps "changing" or "mutating". For this, a "real" cure for cancer seems unlikely for now. But, how can be cancer prevented? Cancer is a disease that is sign-less until its final stages, so it is important to know how to identify symptoms and indicators that may suggest its existence. The problem with this kind of pathologies is that no-serious information about it is given to the masses. So, where can we find this information? We lack an efficient way to transmit information and, thus, to create a serious prevention campaign. An example of a functional campaign is that of "Sexually transmitted diseases", supported by a campaign carried by the secretariat of health, and included in the national educational program from elementary to higher education. In Mexico, courses concerning sexual education dates from 40 years ago by Mexican president Luis Echeverria Alvarez, who implemented the actual model of sexual education in 1974. Since then, the incidences of these kinds of pathologies have decreased. In 1990, the estimated amount of people living with HIV was about 55 or 60,000 people. For the following years (2000-present), the incidence of these kind of diseases/pathologies maintained a certain balance; that is, by not increasing at all, or increasing in small amounts. In 2003, the number of people affected by them was, approximately, 7,213, and it kept decreasing (5,701 in 2004, 4,796 in 2005, etc.). It is important to notice that this is a long-term solution. By teaching students directly at schools about these pathologies, what they implicate and the methods to avoid, prevent and treat them, it is possible to find a long-term solution (or eradication mean) for them. And that is, basically what we intend to do with pathologies of the likes of cancer. Wouldn't it be possible to reduce the incidence of cancer following a similar strategy as the sexual education? Our suggestion is creating an educational reform; a new "subject" for teaching of pathologies (such as cancer), their causes, detection and prevention techniques. By doing so, wouldn't the incidence of cancer, and that of other pathologies, drop in Mexico and the world?