Integrated community-based Interventions - 2009 annual report
An outline of progress made in TDR’s ‘Empowering communities for better health’ research function during 2009
Summary
Infectious diseases remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. In Africa they are responsible for 60% of all deaths. Effective and simple interventions to prevent or treat such infectious diseases exist but their delivery to affected populations has proven very difficult due to weak health systems in many developing countries. In some circumstances the current methods of delivery of these interventions are inefficient and unsustainable, thereby limiting their impact. In some cases, treatment of particular infectious diseases does not require trained health professionals and delivery at the community level by community members who have received training has been shown to be successful. Disease control programmes are therefore increasingly using or opting for these community-based delivery strategies.