Service delivery with quality

Effective interventions that help children survive and that keep them from falling sick are well known.  But the coverage of these interventions is very uneven.  This is in part due to limited access to services. But even where there is good access to and use of services, the quality may be inadequate. In these cases, children still cannot receive the care they need. 

The CHD unit studies effective interventions and delivery strategies, and works with countries to improve the access, coverage and quality of essential child health services. Primary health care is the foundation for reaching children and their families, while aiming for universal health coverage is the strategy to ensure that no child is left behind.  

Improving quality of paediatric care is crucial. Numerous child deaths could be prevented if services met quality standards in line with evidence-based guidelines.  Inadequate triage and assessment, poor treatment, and insufficient monitoring adversely affects outcomes for a significant proportion of sick children.  WHO supports countries to develop national strategies and build capacity for point-of-care quality improvement, specifically in health services that provide child care.