The impact of community integrated management of childhood illness implementation in Kibaha and Mbarali districts of Tanzania

Abstract

Background: The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) Strategy was introduced in Tanzania in 1992, to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the major causes of childhood illness namely malaria, diarrhoea, measles, acute respiratory infections, and the emerging HIV I AIDS pandemic. Objective: To determine the changes in practices of child caregivers regarding the recommended practices for child survival, growth and development, following implementation of community IMCI in the study areas. Study design and setting: This was a cross-sectional community based descriptive study conducted in Kibaha and Mbarali districts from May to June 2006; whereby interviews to determine the performance of caregivers with regard to the key c-IMCI practices were carried out in 392 households. The subset of 392 households was selected by using multi-stage sampling technique at the initial stages and convenient sampling at later stages. Methodology: Data was collected using a structured questionnaire addressing the key c-IMCI practices in the two districts. Analysis of the findings was done using Epi-info version 6 programme. Results: Child Health and communities have a natural affinity for one another. Results show areas of strength such as immunization, vitamin A, ITN and iodized salt use attaining 75 to 85% coverage. Areas of weakness are exclusive breast feeding and compleinentary feeding in 23.4 to 32.4% and psychosocial growth and development to be worked on. Conclusion and recommendation: Regarding the good practices observed in this study; vitamin A supplementation, iodized salt use, immunization coverage and use of insecticide treated bed nets; it calls for scaling out community IMCI implementation to other districts in Tanzania. More studies are needed to establish the reasons as to why breast feeding and apropriate complementary feeding are not widely practiced in our community .