Case orientated problems with identification of barriers and enhancers to child health in southwestern Uganda

Child health has been identified by the World Health Organization as a global health priority in Africa where 42% of the annual 10.6 million deaths of children under five years of age occur. A Community Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (developed by WHO and UNICEF) used in a present six year project in southwestern Uganda is funded by CIDA "Strengthening Child Health - Rural Uganda" Although needs are known, it often difficult to implement recommended practices related to water, sanitation, nutrition, bed nets, etc. for a variety of environmental, socioeconomic, cultural and other reasons. This proposal will use relevant case-oriented problems to develop and validate a tool for better assessing knowledge, barriers and enhancers to community practices which would improve child health. This is expected to contribute to more effective implementation of practices to improve child health in Uganda and act as a model to similarly assist elsewhere in the world.