What does ICCM stand for?
Please click here for a list of useful acronyms
Are Community Health Workers (CHWs) to act as replacements for health facility based practitioners?
CHWss are not intended to replace the role of health facility based practitioners. Rather, they are intended to supplement their work and ease the over-stretched health facilities, so that they can focus on critical and complicated conditions. In order for the capacity of health systems to be properly scaled up, ICCM should be seen as an interim strategy in areas where access to quality care is low. In this way, the CHW acts as a vital link with health facilities, identifying and referring those critical cases, while the health facility fulfils a supervisory role for the CHW.
Are there measures in place for continued support and training for new cadres of CHWs after inSCALE and partner ICCM project end?
The design of inSCALE and ICCM was intended to be as sustainable possible by ensuring community ownership of the CHW model and involvement at every level from institutional health facilities and ministries of health, as well as partner organisations in the field and at the national level. By ensuring that training, monitoring and evaluation, and support is conducted by institutional agents, the project guarantees its own sustainability.
Is there buy-in from ministries of health and finance and bilateral partners to implementing countries?
Mozambique and Uganda were selected as inSCALE implementing countries given the documented level of political support for ICCM. At every stage of the process, ministerial officials at district and national levels are involved.
Is the global health donor community adequately educated about the potential value of ICCM and the reduction in child mortality and morbidity it can bring?
More and more, the international aid community is taking in interest in community case management as a way of affecting mortality and morbidity in sub Saharan Africa, reducing the economic burden of communicable diseases, and ultimately, moving towards a more sustainable aid model which allows for maximum country ownership. The results created by inSCALE will provide further evidence that ICCM is a successful model to be followed.
Is there enough evidence that ICCM will have an impact on child mortality?
The data provided by inSCALE as well as the ICCM project will demonstrate the immediate impact on child mortality that integrated community case management has.
Are the CHWs paid or working voluntarily?
In both Mozambique and Uganda, CHWs are volunteers chosen by their community peers or leaders. However, in Mozambique, it is intended that CHWs will be paid a stipend by the government, or provided with an in-kind benefit such as a bicycle. As inSCALE examines the motivational issues that may prohibit CHWs from fulfilling their roles in the future, the issue of payment will be examined.
