Management of childhood illnesses at seven health stations in Arsi Zone

Abstract

Summary: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out involving seven health stations in Arsi Zone, to assess the management of childhood illnesses. The out-patient records of 636 children below five years of age, who visited the health stations during November 1996, were reviewed. Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) and Diarrheal Diseases were identified as the leading causes of morbidity, accounting for 512 (74.4) of a total of 688 diagnoses made on children during the study period. Among the 636 children studied, only 53(8.3%) were diagnosed to have two diseases each. There was not any diagnosis of nutritional disorder (Protein-energy malnutrition, or Micro-nutrient deficiency). Among children diagnosed with diarrhea only, 195 (97.0%) were prescribed with ORS and, among those diagnosed with ARI only, more than 95% were prescribed with antibiotics. Nutritional disorders are under-diagnosed and/or negelected at this level of health institutions. It is recommended that the new approach towards the integrated management of childhood illnesses (IMCI) has to be based on a large scale study which assesses the present local situation so as to identify areas which deserve more attention. Until such time that the IMCI is put into practice, the integrated maternal and child health (MCH) training programs should give more attention to ARI and diarrhoeal diseases. A routine screening (high index of suspicion) is also required to diagnose more than one illness in a child, and also to detect nutritional disorders. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 1998;12(2):81-86]