• Report home page • Graphs index • WHO initiatives •
• WHO home page • E-mail comment • Order a copy•

Initiative 2

Combating
childhood deaths

Children are among the most vulnerable to infectious diseases, and child infections demand rapid and effective treatment. WHO's Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) strategy permits immediate treatment at the very periphery of health care systems. IMCI is disease control through management of the five most common causes of childhood deaths – pneumonia, diarrhoeal diseases, malaria, measles and malnutrition.

The IMCI treatment guidelines have been developed to assist health workers to recognize easily signs of illness and take appropriate action, even if there are co-existing health conditions. IMCI also helps prevent illness through promoting improved nutrition and vaccination.

Research & Development being conducted by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) is developing new drugs and studying drug combinations to make IMCI even more effective.

Information on IMCI can be accessed at www.who.int/chd/

© World Health Organization 1999
About this report