Introduction
pneumonia, Health-related behaviors, diarrhea, Diarrhea, deaths
PNEUMONIA, DISEASES, UNDERNUTRITION
In 2020, an estimated five million children under the age of five died [Diarrhea and pneumonia are regarded as diseases of poverty, associated with undernutrition, environment, and lack of access to healthcare [In 2015, United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aimed to promote healthy lives and well-being for all children, with SDG-3 specially focused on ending preventable deaths of under-5 children by 2030 [Pakistan is among the countries with the highest under-five mortality [Health-related behaviors are often resistant to change and are influenced by a variety of personal, cognitive, economic, socio-cultural, and structural factors [There is a need for action to reduce preventable child morbidity and mortality. We conducted formative research to inform the design of a cluster randomized controlled trial, by exploring possible incentives which could improve community engagement and active participation to influence behavior change in a rural district of Pakistan. Through qualitative assessment, we attempt to understand the local community’s knowledge and beliefs, water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions, IYCF and immunization practices, identify current care seeking behaviors for childhood diarrhea and pneumonia and highlight the possible barriers and facilitators in the uptake of essential interventions.