Integration of results of meetings with African health officials and AID field staff (product 2), and with CADA representatives (product 3), into the design of the CCCD project (combatting childhood communicable diseases (CCCD) project)

Proposals were derived from discussions held by the contractor, Health Management Group, Ltd., with Mission personnel and technical representatives of the Concerted Action for Development in Africa group, and are intended to provide justification for the Africa Bureau"s request for funding of A.I.D."s portion of this multi-donor project. The project will seek to control three types of diseases which directly or indirectly contribute to 75-80% of the morbidity/mortality which afflict"s the region"s children (whose number will reach 72 million by the year 2000): (1) vaccine-preventable diseases such as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, poliomyelitis, and tuberculosis, project activities against which will follow guidelines established by the World Health Organization in its Expanded Program on Immunization; (2) diarrheal disease, for which three strategies have been identified (oral rehydration for acute cases; maternal and child care practices such as breastfeeding and good weaning practices; and improvement of water supply, sanitation, and food hygiene); and (3) other important childhood communicable diseases such as malaria, against which practices such as presumptive treatment of fevers with chloroquine and immunizing pregnant women against neonatal tetanus have been identified. The project will be implemented both regionally and nationally. Regional activities will include management training and cold chain technical assistance; data systems for disease surveillance, program management, and evaluation; health education; and operations research. Country-specific activities, which will also include the above components, will focus on the total immunization of the targeted population within 20 years. National programs will also be coordinated with the regional project.