What is child survival? Child-focused strategy forms key element of PLAN's health policy
Tam, L.
Sante Salud 1: 3-4
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 1028-9801 PMID: 12179562 Document Number: 418658
PLAN in Bolivia and the Dominican Republic has directed interventions to increase child survival. In Bolivia in August 1991, an 18 month infant with rapid breathing and cough was brought to a health center because the mother had remembered the warning symptoms provided by a community health worker. This child's life was saved by the contact with the health worker, the mother's action to bring the child to the health center, and the timely, appropriate use of antibiotics. Follow-up by a community worker revealed a return to health for the child; a child death was averted. The case of a measles epidemic in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in February 1992 was described, where health workers had targeted a slum area for house to house immunization and thus child deaths were averted when the measles epidemic struck. PLAN's child survival programs, funded by USAID and PLAN, have been innovative and successful in tailoring approaches to local needs and priorities. The Santo Domingo Field Office prioritized efforts in immunization, oral rehydration therapy, and child nutrition. Findings in 1992 showed that Child Survival participants had 50% less malnutrition than other neighboring community children aged 12-23 months. Bolivia's Field Office in Sucre stressed acute respiratory infections, immunizations, and oral rehydration therapy. Findings have shown that Child Survival families were four times more likely to use health facilities for respiratory infections. Success has been attributed to a focus on high risk populations, use of technical interventions, emphasis on selected key behavioral change objectives, a community based approach, cooperative relationships with other local health providers, and "community ownership" of interventions. Individual health taking behavior was changed.