| Frequently Asked Questions about IMCI:
Has IMCI been evaluated?
Yes, there have been several evaluations of IMCI:
Is the algorithm the same in every region?
No. While WHO and UNICEF created a generic algorithm, each country needs to adapt these guidelines based on their country situation, taking into consideration the national distribution of illness and issues related to treatment such as appropriate front line malaria drugs, appropriate complementary foods, local terms for illness, and consensus on case management guidelines. The IMCI Adaptation Guide assists countries through this process.
Where can I find WHO and UNICEF materials on IMCI?
Do NGOs get involved in all three components of IMCI?
Yes, while many NGOs specialize in community-based programming, they support the entire continuum and often work with the government to improve health systems and health worker skills. While some countries have introduced the components of IMCI sequentially, others have introduced them concurrently. In Nepal, CORE supported ADRA, CARE, and Save the Children to expand Community IMCI in several districts. As a part of this effort, the Government of Nepal requested that Save the Children train health workers in one of the districts concurrently with implementing the community-based interventions. Save the Children trained 122 health workers, 18 district supervisors, and 82 village health workers and conducted follow-up with 52 health facilities and 106 health workers. Save the Children, ADRA, and CARE conducted community IMCI efforts in six districts by mobilizing Health Facility Management Committees. These committees developed and implemented local action plans that promoted immunization, child feeding practices, home management of diarrhea, and care seeking for cough, difficulty breathing, dehydration and all danger signs through activities such as street drama, video shows, nutrition demonstrations, song competitions, school health education, and sanitation efforts. The three PVOs also set up Positive Deviance / Hearth sessions and rehabilitated more than 855 children from moderate and severe malnutrition status to mild and normal status.
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