Global child health and sustainable paediatric care — formative SAQs

SAQ 1 — Preventable under-five mortality (10 marks)

A candidate is asked to prioritise interventions for a district with high under-five mortality. ^[1]

Questions

1. List major preventable causes of under-five death. (4)
2. Name the core high-impact package items. (3)
3. Identify system enablers that protect coverage equity. (3)

Model answer

Pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria where endemic, perinatal conditions and undernutrition dominate preventable deaths. Core package items include vaccines, ORS with zinc, breastfeeding support, insecticide-treated nets where indicated and skilled birth attendance. Enablers include cold-chain supply, community health workers, disaggregated coverage data and outreach to the hardest-to-reach. ^[1]