Dangcalan, EmeeRose P.

BSN2-1 UNO-R

January 23, 2019

Health Updates

INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF CHILDHOOD ILLNESS (IMCI)

One million children under five years old die each year in less developed countries. Just five diseases
(pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, measles and dengue hemorrhagic fever) account for nearly half of these
deaths and malnutrition is often the underlying condition. Effective and affordable interventions to
address these common conditions exist but they do not yet reach the populations most in need, the
young and impoverish.

The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness strategy has been introduced in an increasing number
of countries in the region since 1995. IMCI is a major strategy for child survival, healthy growth and
development and is based on the combined delivery of essential interventions at community, health
facility and health systems levels. IMCI includes elements of prevention as well as curative and addresses
the most common conditions that affect young children. The strategy was developed by the World
Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNCF)

In the Philippines, IMCI was started on a pilot basis in 1996, thereafter more health workers and hospital
staff were capacitated to implement the strategy at the frontline level.

The strategy includes three main components:

 Improving case management skills of health-care staff

 Improving overall health systems
 Improving family and community health practices.

Objectives of IMCI:

 Reduce death and frequency and severity of illness and disability, and
 Contribute to improved growth and development
BASIS FOR CLASSIFYING THE CHILD’S ILLNESS (please see enclosed portion of the IMCI Chartbooklet)
The child’s illness is classified based on a color-coded triage system:

PINK- indicates urgent hospital referral or admission

YELLOW- indicates initiation of specific Outpatient Treatment

GREEN – indicates supportive home care

Reaction:

Every day, millions of parents seek health care for their sick children, taking them to hospitals, health
centres, pharmacists, doctors and traditional healers. Surveys reveal that many sick children are not
properly assessed and treated by these health care providers, and that their parents are poorly advised.
At first-level health facilities in low-income countries, diagnostic supports such as radiology and
laboratory services are minimal or non-existent, and drugs and equipment are often scarce. Limited
supplies and equipment, combined with an irregular flow of patients, leave health workers at this level
with few opportunities to practice complicated clinical procedures. Instead, they often rely on history
and signs and symptoms to determine a course of management that makes the best use of the available
resources.Implementing the integrated management of childhood illness strategy may reduce child
mortality, and packages that include interventions for the neonatal period may reduce infant mortality.
This means focusing not only on curative care but also on prevention of disease.