DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO ENCOURAGE APPROPRIATE CARE-SEEKING FOR CHILDREN WITH ACUTE RESPIRATORY-INFECTIONS - AN EXAMPLE FROM EGYPT

Determinants of care-seeking and patterns of referral for acute respir atory infections (ARIs) in children were studied in two communities in Ismailia, Egypt. A video was used to assess mothers' recognition and interpretation of clinical signs of serious illness. Mothers were ques tioned about which of the locally available provider options they woul d choose for four different locally-defined ARI illnesses; they were a lso read brief descriptions of hypothetical cases, and asked how they would recommend treating children in those situations. These results w ere compared with reported care-seeking practices during past ARI epis odes that occurred in their own children. The results indicate that mo thers generally recognize rapid or difficult breathing, but do not use the recognition to take appropriate actions. The data suggest that a substantial proportion of children in the study area, who are perceive d to have severe respiratory illnesses, may not be brought to the gove rnment health facilities for treatment. Implications of the findings f or the training policies and strategies of the Egyptian national ARI p rogram are considered.