Integrated Community Case Management of Childhood Illness: What Have We Learned?

The evaluations of integrated community case management (iCCM) of childhood illness in Ethiopia, Malawi, and Burkina Faso published in this issue provide important new information to guide program design and implementation. Recognizing that in most countries with a high burden of child mortality, access to health services is limited for many families and their children, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) identified iCCM as an effective evidence-based strategy to increase coverage of lifesaving interventions and reduce preventable child deaths.1 Few program evaluations of iCCM at scale exist.2 The reports therefore are unique and valuable. However, none of the three reports demonstrated the desired iCCM objectives of increasing care seeking for childhood illness and improved coverage of effective treatment interventions at the population level.