The clinical diagnosis and treatment of important childhood diseases in rural Papua New Guinea

This study used multiple standardized instruments to evaluate the quality of the clinical management of the common childhood diseases in rural Papua New Guinea. The findings indicate major inadequacies in the quality of history taking, examination, record keeping, diagnosis and treatment of the common causes of childhood morbidity and mortality. To improve case management by health workers in rural clinical situations everything possible must be done to make good clinical management easy and practical. This should involve provision of practical reinforcing tools, training and supervision which target rural health workers as valuable human resources, and community education which maximizes the contribution that community members can make to early diagnosis and good management.