an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure

Alternative forms

 * an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
 * an ounce of prevention is better than an ounce of cure

Proverb

 * 1) It is better to prevent a disease than to have to cure it.
 * 2)  Precaution and prevention of an undesirable thing is preferable to dealing with its potential consequences.