Governments should spend more money on medical research to protect citizen's health rather than on protecting the environment.
Do you agree or disagree?
There is an opinion that more state funding should be allocated to clinical research than for tackling environmental problems. Personally, I wholeheartedly disagree with this argument and this essay will give some points below.
One might argue that medical research can play an integral role in insulating people from diseases. This is based on the assumption that clinical studies address the ways illnesses progressively impacts the bodies, which may help researchers identify the superior intervention methods to prolong patients' longevity. Besides, medical trials can serve as the grounds for future therapies and medications that will help develop the management of serious health conditions. To cite an example, the Ghanian government has tasked with conducting research and introduced thousands of certified doses of COVID-19 vaccine to prevent its residents from contracting this deadly disease.
Despite the reasons outlined above, it is my view that authorities' investment in the protection of the environment holds more importance than that in medical studies. This is because many environmental problems are the root of countless diseases such as: respiratory diseases (asthma, bronchitism, lung cancer,...) caused by air pollution; hearing loss resulting from noise pollution; diarrhoea, dysentery - consequences of water pollution, to name a few. Futhermore, contaminated hygienic conditions are likely to be linked to the widespread transmission of several health risks. That is to say, that governing bodies invest more on the alleviation of such environmental issues can prove more effective in improving people's health since a large number of health hazards will be eliminated. Falling need for clinical research can also put less pressure on the national budget, thus facilitate investment in other imperative sectors including education or urban planning.
In conclusion, it seems to me that scientific health research should not be given top priority when it comes to allocating state financial resources.
I would be really grateful to receive your feedbacks.