Management of children with ARI and/or diarrhoea in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

This study, conducted between May 9 and May 19, 1994 in twenty health centres in Addis Ababa, looks at the quality of care provided for children presenting to public sector health centres in Addis Ababa with ARI and/or diarrhoea. As has been documented in other countries, both developing and developed, inappropriate prescription of medications is common in Addis Ababa. Forty four per cent of children received useless or potentially harmful drugs; in 97 of 99 cases of "sore throat", antibiotics were prescribed; only 14 of 116 children with the diagnosis of "common cold" received no medication. While 88 percent of children with diarrhoea received ORS, and 39 per cent of children with pneumonia were given appropriate medications, few caretakers knew how to use them properly. Caretakers' knowledge of appropriate home care of children with ARI and diarrhoea (feeding, use of fluids and indication for return to the clinic) was found to be deficient. Causes for poor quality of care are discussed, and recommendations for solving some of the problems identified, and for further research, are presented.