Tertiary prevention aims to prevent disability by restoring individuals to their optimal level of functioning after disease/injury is established.

• A. Tertiary prevention aims to prevent disability by restoring individuals to their optimal level of functioning after disease/injury is established.
• B. Tertiary prevention aims to prevent disease before exposure.
• C. Tertiary prevention identifies disease early.
• D. Tertiary prevention reduces mortality.

Answer: (A)

Prevention has three main levels: stopping disease before it starts, catching it early to prevent progression, and reducing damage once a disease or injury has occurred. Tertiary prevention is about the latter: after disease or injury is established, the focus is on minimizing disability and helping people regain as much function as possible through rehabilitation and management of complications.

The statement captures this aim precisely. It says prevention of disability by restoring individuals to their optimal level of functioning after disease/injury is established, which is the essence of tertiary prevention.

The other ideas describe different levels of prevention: preventing the disease in the first place (primary), identifying disease early to prevent progression (secondary), or reducing mortality (which can be a goal of various levels but isn’t the defining focus of tertiary prevention).