Planning Child Survival Programs

Child mortality has steadily declined over the last century. This global progress is marred by tremendous disparities between and within countries, and the fact that many of the children who survive do so in circumstances that make it difficult for them to thrive. Students in the course will learn about the clinical aspects of child health, including the specific conditions that affect children, with a focus on high-mortality settings, and the technical interventions designed to help children survive. Secondly, students will learn about the managerial issues in child survival programs, including monitoring, evaluation, communication, cross-cultural understanding, leadership, and human resources. Thirdly, students will also be introduced to some of the political issues involved in planning child survival programs, including critiques of development aid. Students will also learn about relevant cross-cutting areas of knowledge, such as health systems, community health, and crisis settings.