The comprehensive child health care centres in the Sudan

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Global Health

Background:

• The study examines the application of Morley's concept for child health clinics.
• Morley's concept, initiated in 1963, targets children under five years old.
• The research is based on experiences in Omdurman town, Sudan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the experience of implementing Morley's child health clinic concept in Omdurman.
• To assess the feasibility and challenges of adapting this model within existing health structures.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of the adapted approach in addressing child health issues in a developing country context.

Main Methods:

• Integration of Morley's concept into existing maternity and child health centers and hospitals.
• Establishment of a main center for methodology development and staff training.
• Application of a modified approach emphasizing nutrition education and professional staff utilization.

Main Results:

• Childhood medical problems encountered were similar to those described by Morley.
• The adapted approach utilized more professional staff and increased focus on nutrition education.
• Implementation within existing health structures proved challenging due to costs and the curative-preventive medicine divide.

Conclusions:

• Morley's concept offers a theoretical framework for comprehensive child healthcare in developing nations.
• Adapting the concept to existing health structures faced significant practical difficulties, including high costs.
• The dichotomy between curative and preventive medicine posed a barrier to successful implementation.