This project will bring together two existing mobile solutions independently developed by World Vision (WV) and Terre des hommes (Tdh), to
address the management of malnutrition and the management of childhood illnesses, respectively. The integrated digital tool will improve
the coordination and timeliness of treatments that saves children’s lives.
Background & Rationale: Despite the progress in reducing child mortality in the past two decades, treatable conditions such as diarrhea,
pneumonia, malaria and malnutrition remain the leading causes of death among children under five in Mali[1] and other parts of the developing
world. Despite the existence of effective clinical protocols from the World Health Organization (WHO), namely, the Integrated Management
of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) and the Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM), the adherence to these protocols
is low[2], thus limiting their impact on child morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, at rural health facilities IMCI and CMAM
services are often not well coordinated, and children presenting with both an infection and severe acute malnutrition are at risk of not receiving
the comprehensive treatment they need, resulting in delayed recovery and potentially death. This situation is particularly important given
malnourished children’s higher risk of dying from an infection[3]. To improve protocol adherence and treatment outcomes, World Vision
developed a mobile app on the CommCare platform[4], in collaboration with Dimagi, to support CMAM implementation in Chad, Niger and
Mali[5]. Similarly, Tdh developed and scaled to 1/3 of Burkina Faso, a digital solution to improve adherence to IMCI using Commcare.
Recognizing the need to decrease fragmentation in the digital space, WV and Tdh are working towards the formation of a Mobile
Health Consortium and seeking to integrate the two mobile applications to better meet the needs of children suffering from infections, or
malnutrition, or both.
Expected Outputs and Results: Through this project we will achieve (1) an Integrated IMCI+CMAM App that contributes to
improving protocol adherence, and timeliness of management of children who need both IMCI and CMAM treatment; (2) a clear strategy
and work plan for the introduction of the IMCI+CMAM App into routine care and the national health information system (SNISI) in Mali;
and (3) additional resources – financial, in-kind and human resources – developed or acquired to continue developing the tool in Mali and
potentially other countries in the region.