KARACHI, July 15: Paediatricians addressing the opening session of a workshop on the ‘Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses’ here on Tuesday termed the strategy a way forward in countering all the factors responsible for child mortality and morbidity in the country.

It was unanimously opined by the speakers that IMCI, fully supported through indigenous and national resources with technical support from the WHO, would actually materialise and benefit kids.

The 11-day programme jointly organised by the federal health ministry, with the support of WHO, is being largely attended by paediatricians, senior officers of the health ministry and the Sindh health department, planners, mid-level program managers and facilitators from the ministry of health and the Aga Khan Health Services.

Prof Abdul Ghaffar Billoo, chairman Paediatrics AKU, speaking on the occasion termed the programme an innovative approach and a step forward in doing away with vertical and disease-specific programmes to counter diarrhoea, pneumonia, malaria, measles, malnutrition and other leading killer diseases.

He lamented that the child survival programme earlier launched with USAID’s support could not survive as it relied heavily on external support, while IMCI being indigenous in nature would not be reliant on external sources or foreign donors.

However, he called for adopting a holistic approach while dealing with childhood illnesses, taking communities into confidence and instructing them on correct practices..

He repressed the hope that the participants would undergo a transformation after attending the course and perceive existing realities in a new light.

Dr Baqir Hussein Jafferi, national operations officer IMCI, said that IMCI was a global strategy being practised in more than 100 countries in order to manage the child as a whole and not for some specific disease or problem.

He emphasized the fact that IMCI was not another vertical programme and incorporated many of the elements of the programmes being currently implemented for the control of diarrhoeal diseases, acute respiratory infections, malaria and for improving the nutritional status of children.

Dr Jafferi pointed out that IMCI required effective coordination with EPI, essential drug program and all other relevant programmes in order to significantly reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with the major causes of diseases in children. He said the program would also be beneficial in contributing to healthy growth and developments of children, improving case management skills of health workers, adaption of standardized case management guidelines and in-service and pre-service training.

This was further stated to ensure uninterrupted drug supply and management organization of work in health facilities, proper management and supervision, improving family and community practices.

Dr Zardad Muhammad of Ayub Medical College, Abbotabad, dwelt on the elaborate steps taken during the preparatory and planning phases of the programme.

Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi, WHO operations officer for Sindh, pointed out that a new strategy was warranted in order to bring down the infant mortality rate.

“IMCI will also serve to strengthen the existing infrastructure at the district level and below, and will improve community practices in its area of operation,” he said.

It was also noted down that bringing about the requisite change was an uphill task but given the maturity and experience of the participants and facilitators there was every reason to believe that the programme would take off successfully in Nawabshah district as had previously been the case in Multan and Abbotabad.

Dr Kazi also hoped that after the successful experience in Nawabshah district, the Sindh government would draw up a project proposal or PC-I proforma to replicate the programme in the other districts of the province in order to ensure its sustainability.—APP