Which of the following is one of the five categories of health interventions?

• A. Health
• B. Specific
• C. Early case finding and prompt treatment
• D. Disability limitation

Answer: (C)

In public health practice, interventions are grouped into five broad kinds: health promotion, specific protection, early diagnosis and prompt treatment, disability limitation, and rehabilitation. The phrase early case finding and prompt treatment directly maps to the category of early diagnosis and prompt treatment. This approach emphasizes actively identifying cases in the population—through screening, contact tracing, or active case finding—and then starting treatment quickly to prevent disease progression, reduce complications, and often limit transmission. For example, screening programs that detect tuberculosis among contacts and promptly initiating therapy, or cervical cancer screening followed by timely treatment, embody this category. While disability limitation is another valid category, and simply saying “health” or “specific” is too vague to align with the standard four or more named categories, the option that specifies early diagnosis and prompt treatment best fits the established framework.