Integrated Community Case Management of Childhood Illness: A Contextual Examination of Community Healthcare Delivery in Benue State Nigeria

Abstract

Integrated community case management ICCM of malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea at the community level has been a growing focus of community healthcare delivery across sub-Saharan Africa over the last few years. Increased morbidity and mortality of under-fives, as well as the growing financial burden of financing health care for childhood illnesses, has stimulated the scientific community to begin exploring innovative ways to achieve effective and sustainable disease management and control. Using the archival method of research as well as data gleaned from interviews of 300 community oriented resource persons CORP, 200 community development committees CDCs and 50 community healthcare workers in four Local Government Areas LGAs of Benue State, Nigeria; we note that community groups are a valuable part of any meaningful intervention and therefore building their capacities is paramount to ownership and sustainability of ICCM services. This paper argues that child health services are likely to improve when community platforms are enhanced through partnerships and effective collaboration. The paper adopts a vulnerability/solidarity framework that is sympathetic to the policies, social norms, gender roles and power dynamics that give rise to problems regarding the quality of ICCM services. It suggests a relational construction preceding the current practice of service provision to strengthen public health structures at the community level.