ABSTRACT
One in twenty children born worldwide do not survive until their fifth birthday. In some parts of the world, this climbs to 1 in 12 children. It is a stark reality often forgotten by those who work exclusively in high-income countries or high-resourced healthcare settings. Medical learners planning to work in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs) or low-resourced settings will inevitably encounter a high proportion of childhood disease. The hospital care guidelines contain an essential component outlining Emergency Triage, Assessment and Treatment (ETAT) principles for rapidly screening and treating sick children. This chapter outlines some of the major causes of morbidity and mortality to children and youth worldwide, as well as some key topics of relevance in caring for this population. Early neonatal and neonatal mortality rates comprise a substantial proportion of under-five mortality rates, with each of these demonstrating significant decline in the last 25 years.
