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Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI)
Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI)
Every year, nearly 11 million children die before reaching their fifth birthday.
In response to this challenge,WHO and UNICEF in the early 1990s developed Integrated
Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI), a strategy designed to reduce child mortality and
morbidity in developing countries.The approach focuses on the major causes of deaths in
children through improving case management skills of health workers, strengthening the
health system, and addressing family and community practices. However, the original IMCI
modules did not include care of the sick newborn during the first week of life, the time when
one in three child deaths occur, and it did not emphasise home-based newborn care.
IMCI has become a main child survival strategy in almost all countries in the African region,
creating a unique opportunity to scale up newborn health interventions using IMCI as a
vehicle. Incorporating newborn algorithms in IMCI and strengthening the components of the
strategy related to the health system and community will directly impact newborn health.
Some of this work has already begun as generic IMCI guidelines and training materials have
been revised to include the first week of life. Many countries in Africa are planning to adapt
IMCI to include the missing aspects of newborn care. Questions about adapting IMCI in
Africa remain, however. For example, should routine home visits for postnatal
care in the first week of life be included in the IMCI strategy? Should IMCI
include care at the time of birth? Should IMCI training start with
management of young infants (0-2 months) rather than older infants and
children? What are the challenges in implementing IMCI in an effective
way? How can complementary facility-based and community-based
approaches be combined? Many lessons can be gained from countries,
especially in Asia, where IMCI has already been adapted to Integrated
Management of Childhood and Neonatal Illness (IMNCI).
Effects on newborns: Every year 1.16 million African babies die in the first month of life and the
leading cause is infections.The majority of the estimated 325,000 babies who die from neonatal sepsis
and pneumonia could be saved with simple preventive practices such as clean skin and cord care,
breastfeeding and warmth, and better management of those who are sick, especially using antibiotics.1
Most newborn deaths are among low birthweight (LBW) babies, or babies weighing less than 2500
grams at birth. Simple care of all small babies and early treatment of complications would save many
newborn lives. However, neither home care practices nor care of small babies, or even treatment of
newborn infections have been systematically addressed by child health programmes at scale, including
Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI).
Effects on children: Lack of health promotion and services for babies has an impact on older children
too. Severe illness during the first month of life can result in long term disability and poor school
performance but there is little concrete data available on these serious newborn illnesses and their
long-term effects on health.The first weeks of life are crucial for establishing healthy behaviours, such
as breastfeeding – in Africa only one third of babies under 6 months of age are exclusively breastfed.2
RETURN TO HEALTH
Give FOLLOW-UP care when the child returns, and if necessary, FACILITY
reassess for new problems WHEN NEEDED
IMCI functions best when families and communities are IMCI combines prevention and care, focusing on the
linked to the first level facility which in turn links well to child and not only on the individual diseases. The types
the referral level. (Figure III.5.2) This is the same of interventions currently in the IMCI strategy are shown
principle that is set out in Section II regarding the in Table III.5.1.
importance of a seamless continuum of care across health
service delivery levels.
IMCI implementation has been evaluated through two Case management of illness in first level health
large efforts: the Analytic Review of IMCI7 and the facilities – opportunities to include newborn
Multi-Country Evaluation.5;6 These reports have found interventions
that IMCI training substantially improves the quality of The first and most effectively implemented component of
care in health facilities.3;8-10 Still, while some countries IMCI has been the integrated management of ill children
have reached high coverage, most countries have in facilities. The core principle is to improve the ability of
progressed much more slowly than initially expected.6 health workers to categorise sick children using simplified
The focus of IMCI strategy in many countries has been algorithms to identify very severe disease requiring referral
more on health worker training than the balance of all and other more simple conditions which can be treated at
three components. Where more than one of the three primary care level. The original generic version of IMCI
IMCI components were advanced together, however, as in included algorithms and case management of young
Tanzania and Bangladesh, faster progress was made in infants from one week to two months of age. The
improving child survival.4;11 training focused on identification and management of
serious and local infections, diarrhoea, LBW, and feeding
problems in young infants.
Opportunities to strengthen newborn
care within IMCI The generic IMCI case management guidelines have been
recently revised and should form the basis of country
While prioritising the main causes of child mortality, the adaptations in the future. (See programme resources on
original generic IMCI guidelines missed two major causes page 148) The revised guidelines include the following
of neonatal deaths during the first week of life – asphyxia additions to the original version:
and preterm birth. The young infant IMCI algorithms
only addressed prevention and management of infections • An evidence based algorithm for identification and
after the first week of life because information on the management of illness in the first week of life (very
performance of simple clinical signs of illness in this severe disease including asphyxia, complications of
equipment, as well as supportive supervision and as the status of maternal and child health programmes.
monitoring. Efforts to draw the attention of policy
makers to the importance of the under-five disease The following are key questions to ask when adapting
burden and of adequate levels of investment resulted in IMCI case management guidelines to strengthen
IMCI and newborn health being placed higher on local newborn care for use at first level health facilities:
and international agendas.26;27 This enabling environment Content of training? It is strongly recommended that
and the underpinning management skills are necessary for IMCI include management of neonates during the first
effective intervention delivery at all levels – community, week of life. In other words, the young infant section of
first-level health facility, and hospitals. IMCI should outline management of babies after birth
Adding drugs and supplies for managing common new- and up to 2 months old. In all settings, IMCI material
born conditions to IMCI essential drug and supply lists is should address severe disease in babies (serious infections,
a critical step in ensuring the availability of such items. asphyxia, and complications of preterm birth), diarrhoea,
feeding problems, and care of LBW infants. For example,
Proper monitoring can lead to improved care for young gonococcal eye infection can be added in settings where
infants and children. Programmes can use checklists to local epidemiology suggests that gonococcal eye infections
assess the quality of newborn care, which can help gauge are a problem. Inclusion of jaundice should be
case management of ill babies and development of health considered, bearing in mind that jaundice, though an
worker skills. Monitoring indicators should track the important cause of disability, is not a major cause of
number of sick babies at health facilities who are referred death. Unfortunately, clinical signs are not a reliable way
for severe illness as well as young infants who had routine to detect jaundice which requires treatment.12;13
postnatal contacts with trained health workers. Local
information on burden of disease and investment levels The generic, revised IMCI does not include care at the
for newborns and children should be made available to time of birth, because health professionals present at the
help policy makers in decision making and prioritisation time of birth should also have skills to care for the
of intervention and programme implementation. mother during childbirth and this is usually not the same
person who is providing IMCI services to children. A
Adapting IMCI to save newborn lives – putting the complementary training module for newborn care at the
“N” in IMNCI time of birth, including resuscitation, might be used
Adapting IMCI to strengthen newborn care requires either for the skilled attendant or for specific settings
organising or revitalising a national committee of where the worker being trained in IMCI would also be
technical experts and stakeholders to discuss the specifics present at birth. The WHO Making Pregnancy Safer
of the new IMCI package. The committee should take Essential Newborn Care course can be adapted for this
into account the current status of neonatal health as well purpose.
Table III.5.2 Adaption of IMCI to IMNCI in India – key decisions and their rationale