Intended response of caretakers of pre-school children to acute respiratory infection in a rural district in Ghana.

Caretakers of pre-school children were interviewed in Afigya Sekyere district, Ghana. Over 46% (n = 400) will buy drugs and 33% will use various herbs for mild ARI at home. Food is withheld during ARI episodes and few will attempt to treat perceived severe ARI at home. No association was found between knowledge of signs or causation of ARI and intended practice for mild and severe ARI. Finance and poor attitude of health workers were major concerns expressed by caretakers in seeking help from the orthodox health system.