Parents' Caring Approach for Their Children Suffering from Pneumonia-A Study among Bhil Tribes of Maharashtra

In India, pneumonia deaths in the past decade show a decreasing trend in the child mortality rate from 74.6 to 45.4. However, NFHS-5 records an increase in prevalence to 2.8% from 2.7% in NFHS-4. The childhood pneumonia control strategies focus on strengthening the health system, skill-building health workers, counseling, and creating awareness about promoting healthy behaviors regarding the management of sick children.

The study attempts to understand "caregivers" care-seeking behavior and the management of childhood pneumonia.

The study was conducted in the Akkalkuwa block of Nandurbar district, Maharashtra, India. We used episodic interviews, asking caregivers to recollect specific events linked to the need for treatment.

A total of 11 in-depth interviews of mothers were conducted whose under-five children had pneumonia in the past year. These interviews used vignettes from real pneumonia cases to discuss community priorities for health care and actions taken to improve child's health. In addition, the qualitative data from the in-depth interviews were thematically analyzed.

Cough, breathlessness, and disturbance in the routine schedule of the child were the major symptoms to identify pneumonia (vavlya) among children. Branding on the stomach, oil massage, and jadi-buti were commonly observed phenomena to seek help. Low priority, the influence of traditional healers and herbal medicines, and the inaccessibility of quality healthcare services were the main factors that led to the child's treatment.

Culturally appropriate activities are to be imparted on recognition of symptoms and appropriate care seeking, and community health workers need capacity building.