an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
an OWNS uv preh-VEN-shun iz WURTH a POWND uv KYOOR
æn aʊns əv prɪˈvɛnʃən ɪz wɜːrθ ə paʊnd əv kjʊərListen
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Dictionary meaning
the proverb that taking preventive action against a problem requires far less effort and cost than dealing with the full consequences of the problem once it has occurred — that a small investment in prevention avoids a much larger investment in treatment; attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the phrase is ubiquitous in public health communication as a justification for vaccination programmes, screening, health promotion, and environmental regulation, all of which impose present costs to avoid greater future burdens of disease; the proverb encodes a temporal logic of foresight and delayed gratification, preferring present prudence to future suffering, and is invoked across policy domains including fire safety, infrastructure maintenance, and environmental protection
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