Integrated management of childhood illness: a summary of first experiences

The strategy of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) aims to r educe child mortality and morbidity in developing countries by combining im proved management of common childhood illnesses with proper nutrition and i mmunization. The strategy includes interventions to improve the skills of h ealth workers, the health system, and family and community practices. This article describes the experience of the first countries to adopt and implem ent the IMCI interventions, the clinical guidelines dealing with the major causes of morbidity and mortality in children, and the training package on these guidelines for health workers in first-level health facilities. The m ost relevant lessons learned and how these lessons have served as a basis f or developing a broader IMCI strategy are described.