Acute respiratory infections in children under five years. Control project in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania

Abstract

Control of acute respiratory infections (ARI) in children under five years of age has been implemented as an integrated part of Primary Health Care in rural Bagamoyo District in Tanzania. Community supported Village Health Workers visited each family at their homes every six to eight weeks, giving health education on recognition and prevention of ARI, treating children with pneumonia on the spot with oral Cotrimoxazole or referring them to the next higher level of care. Within a two-year period the total under five mortality has been reduced by 27·2% from 40·1 to 29·2/1000 children aged under five per year. The disease-specific mortality rate for pneumonia has been reduced by 30·1% from 14·3 to 10·0/1000 under-fives per year, contributing 40% to the overall mortality reduction. It is concluded that an active health service outreach programme, within Primary Health Care, can efficiently reduce high child mortality rates from ARI and other diseases. A similar approach will be used to tackle other problems such as diarrhoeal diseases, malnutrition, malaria and child spacing.