Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI)

Tapping the Untapped-

Unleashing the Power of Faith-Based Organizations to Scale Up the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) Strategy in Central America and the Caribbean

Duration: Three Years (2002-2005)
Start Date: October 1, 2002
Locations: Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua

Purpose

To build capacity of local Catholic-based health care networks to scale up the three components of IMCI strategy, including provision of essential drugs, strengthening country activities for Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV/AIDs (MTCT), and leveraging the vast network of faith-based organizations in support of primary health-care efforts.

Strategic Objective

To contribute to the reduction of deaths in children less than five years of age through increased use of effective, improved and sustainable integrated child-health interventions.

Specific Objectives

1. Reinforce health sector reform efforts to build country capacity to improve the quality of care and access to health services.
2. Sustain and scale-up the three components of the IMCI strategy coupled with Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV.
3. Strengthen interagency collaboration with Catholic health-care networks and volunteers, other faith-based organizations, international and national partners, private and non-governmental organizations, and mobilize the U.S. Catholic and international health-care communities to maximize results around common commitments and goals.

Description

The Project will strengthen technical capacity of the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) working in partnership with country Catholic health-care networks and volunteers, other faith-based organizations, the NGO/PVO community, and Ministries of Health. Through joint CMMB/PAHO visits, local Catholic faith-based organizations will be engaged, informed and offered the opportunity to participate in the Project. CMMB’s greatest comparative advantage lies in its ability to leverage the vast network of faith-based healthcare organizations in the U.S. and developing countries. This provides an excellent opportunity for the Region because the potential for scaling-up local resources to address public health problems in the countries is increased. The Project will support activities which will collectively strengthen areas of the IMCI strategy in a combined, integrated fashion, including provision of essential drugs and supplies, improving training skills, improving health systems and community and family practices, and Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS. Selected country sites will implement activities, which will have a collective action-oriented strategy to show results in the short-term.

Participating Partners

• Ministries of Health of Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua
• CMMB, New York, and CMMB Country Coordinators
• Catholic-based organizations, i.e. CARITAS
• PAHO Headquarters, Washington, DC, and PAHO Country Offices
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
• Universities
• Pharmaceutical companies, etc.

Participating PAHO Partners

• Program on Communicable Diseases
• Program on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
• Program on Essential Drugs and Technology