Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (2)
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IMCI is part of "the basic health package" for the under 5 cluster. It is
also one of the simplest tool for ensuring quality in the outpatient
departments since it has all the indicators for assessing the sick child.
But it is surprising to see that the African countries are not implementing
it. In some parts of Kenya the Infant Mortality Rate is over 100 per 1000.
But IMCI has not been introduced in all the districts. Part of the blame
goes to the vertical programs which concentrate on one issue e.g.
nutrition. Both the vertical programs and the "donors" are to blame for
verticalising the diseases. Some districts in Kenya tried to introduce IMCI
but never got any funding from the top. In fact some vertical programs like
the Malaria control took the opportunity to introduce the control program.
However with the Health Sector Reforms the districts are now deciding what
methods to use in reducing the burden of disease using the most cost-
effective interventions.
Dr.S.K.Sharif
Provincial Medical Officer
Coast Province
Mombasa, Kenya
mailto:sksharif@users.africaonline.co.ke
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