More on IMCI - What Is It, Exactly? And Why Is It So Great?
Integrated Management of Childhood Illness is very effective because it's designed specifically for low-resource environments. It provides inexpensive, highly effective health care for the five illnesses that are mostly likely to kill children in the developing world.
Because health care facilities in the developing world are unlikely to have high-level labs or radiology equipment, IMCI relies on diagnosis using symptoms rather than lab tests. It also recommends treatment using affordable, easily stored drugs. IMCI care has been found to be cheaper than standard care for children. It also reduces child mortality. That's pretty much your ideal global health scenario, as close to a magic bullet as you get.
IMCI is made up of three components: 1) Improving case management skills of health-care staff, 2) Improving overall health systems and 3) Improving family and community health practices.
Case management skills means diagnosis, treatment, and follow up of sick children. Identify what's making the child sick, prescribe appropriate treatment. If the child is going to be cared for at home, counsel her parents on how to look after her.
Improving overall health systems is more of a catch-all. It includes making sure that children are only hospitalized when it is absolutely necessary, having the logistics systems in place to make sure that clinics have the drugs they need, and making sure that there are enough health care providers in the system.
Improving family and community practices is about what happens to the child when he's not at the health facility. Providing good care to children who are sick, but not sick enough to see a doctor. Knowing when a child is sick enough to see a doctor. Maintaining good nutrition and good hygiene.
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