Sources for Sick Child Care in 24 USAID Maternal and Child Survival Priority Countries

Since the first Child Survival Call to Action in 2012, USAID has contributed to meaningful reductions in child mortality in priority countries. Despite these gains, child mortality from treatable illnesses like malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea remains high. Understanding whether and where caregivers seek advice and treatment outside of the home for their sick children is critical to supporting USAID strategic efforts to end preventable child deaths. The goal of the study is to generate accessible, easy-to-use information for USAID missions, local stakeholders, and other partners to inform and adapt their programs.  

Results from this analysis were disseminated as a global technical brief, 24 country briefs for each of the 24 USAID maternal and child survival priority countries analyzed, and 24 sets of slides with infographics for USAID missions and local stakeholders to incorporate in their own work. Results were also disseminated through  a series of webinars in July 2018. Access all the resources here.

Objectives/research questions:

• What percentage of children in priority countries experience fever, acute respiratory infection symptoms, and/or diarrhea?
• What percent of caregivers seek advice or treatment outside the home for children with these illnesses?
• Among those who seek out-of-home care, what are the sources? 
  • Public, private, other
  • Clinical vs. non-clinical 
• How do patterns of care seeking vary by:
  • Illness: Fever, acute respiratory infection symptoms, diarrhea
  • Country: Each of the 24 countries analyzed
  • Region: Asia, East, and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa
  • Wealth quintile: Poorest and wealthiest households

Methods: 

SHOPS Plus analyzed Demographic and Health Survey data from 24 USAID maternal and child survival priority countries to examine where treatment or advice is sought for sick children who experienced at least one of three treatable illnesses that are leading causes of death in children under five: fever, acute respiratory infection (proxy for pneumonia), or diarrhea. The analysis also examined how care-seeking patterns differed by household socioeconomic status.

Status: Complete
Date of last update: February 2019

Relevant Resources: 

• Saving Children through Increased Access to Care: The Transformational Power of Data

• Private Sector Counts - This interactive data visualization tool uses data from the most recent Demographic and Health Survey data in 37 low- and middle-income countries to illuminate the important contribution of the public and private sectors to sick child care.

Child Health, Private Sector Counts

See other SHOPS plus studies.