Fw: Impact of IMNCI on Infant Mortality in India: British Medical Journal

[Nikhil Kharod]

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Sent: Monday, August 13, 2012 3:06 PM
Subject: Impact of IMNCI on Infant Mortality in India: British Medical Journal

Dear All:

After a lot of wait, the results of IMNCI effectiveness study, conducted in India and supported by WHO, UNICEF and Research Council of Norway, are out. The paper titled "Effect of implementation of Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness (IMNCI) programme on neonatal and infant mortality: cluster randomised controlled trial" is finally published in the March 2012 edition of British Medical Journal.

This is a convincing evidence in India to relentlessly pursue community based newborn and childcare strategy. It also shows what convergence can achieve: the intervention was delivered at the community level by the trio of ANM, AWW and ASHA (In few states/districts)

Here is a brief from the paper:

What is already known on this topic

• Evaluation of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness in Tanzania showed a 13% reduction in childhood mortality beyond the first week of life, whereas evaluation in Bangladesh showed no significant effect
• Previous evaluations of community based newborn care interventions showed a 15% to 61% reduction in neonatal mortality
• Most of these evaluations were in relatively small populations, and none included interventions beyond the neonatal period

What this study adds

• Evaluation of IMNCI, a programme with increased focus on newborn and infant care, showed a 15% reduction in infant mortality
• In the subgroup of babies born at home, neonatal mortality was also reduced (20% reduction)..no reduction among babies born at health facilities
• Integrating neonatal and child health interventions at community and health facility level is feasible on a large scale for implementation

The full paper is attached for your reading at leisure. With all of your active support, IMNCI implementation in Gujarat can be further accelerated in Gujarat for quickly improving child survival indicators in the state.

With best regards,

(See attached file: IMNCI Paper BMJ.pdf)

Dr. Narayan Gaonkar
Health Specialist
UNICEF Gujarat State Office
Plot No.70, Sector-19,
Gandhinagar -382019,Gujarat, INDIA
Tel : (91) 079-23225366,23227034,23230761
Fax : (91)079-23225364
Email: ngao...@unicef.org