Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) is a strategy to extend case management of childhood illness beyond health facilities so that more children have access to lifesaving treatments. The iCCM package can differ based on particular contexts, but most commonly include diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria. Newborn health and malnutrition are also commonly included as a part of iCCM. In the iCCM model, community health workers are identified and trained in diagnosis and treatment of key childhood illnesses, and also in identifying children in need of immediate referral. The iCCM Task Force identified eight important benchmark components of successful iCCM programs: coordination and policy setting; costing and financing; human resources; supply chain management; service delivery and referral; communications and social mobilization; supervision and performance quality assurance; and monitoring, evaluation and health information systems.
MCHIP’s Role on the iCCM Task Force
MCHIP provided technical leadership to the iCCM Task Force, which was a group of multilateral and bilateral agencies, academics, nongovernmental organizations, and foundations committed to advancing iCCM as an effective way to get lifesaving treatment to children who are most at risk. This collaboration provided an essential forum in which members coordinated advocacy efforts, shared existing tools, developed common resources, and used a common organizing framework for CCM implementation. As the Secretariat, MCHIP provided the central management function, including membership management, leading advocacy and marketing efforts, tracking the Task Force workplan, managing the five technical sub-groups, overseeing resource dissemination, and ensuring general coordination. As part of the Secretariat function to the Task Force, MCHIP managed an online portal to centrally house iCCM resources. This portal highlighted current events and hosted important iCCM tools, documents, meeting reports, and other materials. The website increased the visibility of iCCM and facilitated the sharing of standardized resources and the latest information on iCCM to the global iCCM community. To expand accessibility of key CCM resources to individuals from French-speaking countries, some portions of the website content were made available in French.
Key iCCM Activities
MCHIP worked on iCCM in 11 countries. MCHIP helped to introduce iCCM programs in four countries and supported the expansion of iCCM programs in seven countries. In addition, the Program contributed to formal iCCM assessments and evaluations in four countries.
For more information on MCHIP’s global work on iCCM, click here.