Un entrenamiento de IMCI en Sabedra

Today I went to a training seminar on IMCI (Integrated Manegement of Childhood Illness), which was invented by UNICEF around 5 years ago and now WHO economically assists developing countries like Bolivia, the worst country among the Latin America having many problems on public health. The seminar I participated in was targeted at doctors and nurses. Here in Bolivia out of 1000, 36 newborn babies, or babies until 6-day old, die every year, according to a resource 2003. At the seminar as medical experts the participants learned and practiced how to deal with problems of newborn babies using a life-size baby doll.

Within the participants’ discussions of the seminar they kept saying the infant mortality is mainly caused by lack of knowledge and poor education of mothers. Many mothers here are short of basic knowledge like the importance of hygiene and nutrition, or even caress to their kids. In a FORSA seminar I encountered a mother holding several months old baby. When somebody asked her what the baby’s name is, she said smiling “he still doesn’t have a name.” Some mothers are reluctant, or even get bothered to feed their milk to their own babies. They don’t know about baby food giving what they themselves eat to babies.

Today some people criticize IMCI, since the cost to hold a seminar is awfully enormous. IMCI requires a set of costly materials that you can hardly obtain at any targeted countries. Besides, in some countries in order to appeal many participants they supply daily allowance. In Santa Cruz IMCI training seminars have been held for medical employees recently. And now it is expected to have other seminars in a different level or the community level to educate villagers as facilitators of health promotion in their communities.