Abstract
Background: In sub-Saharan Africa, the DRC ranks among countries with high infant mortality. To solve this problem, the Health Ministry has set up a programme: the use of integrated management childhood illness (IMCI) in community care sites (CCSs) managed by non-health professional persons known as community health workers (CHW). This approach has not yet been integrated into the health pyramid. This is why we chose the Realist Evaluation Approach to evaluate the effectiveness of this programme on Universal Access to care for children under 5 years of age in the DRC. Methods/design: To conduct this exploratory study which is essentially a descriptive case study, we applied the principles of a realist evaluation by context—mechanisms—effects explained in the conceptual framework. The preliminary theory of the programme was elaborated by data collection through a literature review coupled with semi-structured interviews with key informants who were managers of the government programme and technical and financial partners of the programme. Results: IMCI has been evaluated and shown its positive contribution in the reduction of global children mortality. In the DRC, summaries of data collection through a literature review coupled with semi-structured interviews showed the same result. However, under criticism, based on the data collected during this exploratory study, it is promisingly apparent that this programme will achieve the objectives assigned to it through the preliminary theory of the programme. Conclusion: The literature review corroborated the effectiveness of the IMCI programme. The application of this programme in CCS with non-health professionals who are Community Health Workers has been shown to be effective in the DRC. Based on this reality, it was possible to define the basis for a realist evaluation of the effectiveness of the programme in CCS.
Highlights
In sub-Saharan Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) ranks among countries with high infant mortality
The Health Ministry has set up a programme: the use of integrated management childhood illness (IMCI) in community care sites (CCSs) managed by non-health professional persons known as community health workers (CHW)
During 2000, a Tanzanian quasi-experimental study of IMCI implementation showed that IMCI-trained health workers in the intervention districts correctly treated 65% of children aged under five years while this rate was 16% for non-IMCI-trained health workers in comparison districts
Summary
In sub-Saharan Africa, the DRC ranks among countries with high infant mortality To solve this problem, the Health Ministry has set up a programme: the use of integrated management childhood illness (IMCI) in community care sites (CCSs) managed by non-health professional persons known as community health workers (CHW). In the DRC, summaries of data collection through a literature review coupled with semi-structured interviews showed the same result. According to recent health statistics, the DRC ranks among the six countries in the world that contribute to 50% of the weight of global infant mortality. It ranks successively after India, Nigeria, China, Pakistan and Ethiopia [1]. One of the reasons is that health services are often too remote or too costly
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
