Secondary prevention: which is correct?

• A. Surveillance programs
• B. Diagnosis after illness
• C. Screening/monitoring
• D. PPE selection

Answer: (C)

Secondary prevention is about finding disease early and intervening to prevent progression or complications, often through activities like screening and ongoing monitoring. By screening in people who may not yet have symptoms, you catch a problem before it becomes more serious, and monitoring allows timely treatment if the condition changes. That’s the essence of why screening and monitoring best fit secondary prevention.

Surveillance programs are important for tracking disease trends in populations and guiding public health actions, but they aren’t aimed at preventing progression in an individual patient. They describe what’s happening in a group, not the direct early detection and intervention for a person. Diagnosis after illness occurs when disease is already evident symptoms or established, which is not the preventive focus of secondary prevention. PPE selection works to prevent exposure and disease from occurring in the first place, which is primary prevention.