By looking through the perspective of public health, we should focus on the healthy and hygiene conditions of the public but not a single individual as the whole society is more important.
If we divert our attention and resources towards an individual then the public will be neglected and it will create a lot of problems for the whole of society and that specific individual can face problem due to the overall bad conditions of health.
No, it was not, the war was only the means to achieve this independence. Also, it has started already a year before - so I think that the best answer is b.