Effectiveness of an HIV-adapted IMCI Training and Supervision Programme for Community Health Workers

This is a cluster randomized controlled trial (C-RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness of a Community-Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (C-IMCI) training for community caregivers (CCGs), adapted to include HIV-related interventions, on the delivery of maternal, newborn and child health interventions within households in rural communities in Ugu District, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province, South Africa. The intervention includes two components: (1) a 2-week HIV/C-IMCI training for CCGs and their associated facilitators and supervisors, and (2) continuous support and supervision following the continuous quality improvement (CQI) framework, a low-technology approach to management and supervision of health programs. The primary objectives of the proposed evaluation are to measure the effect of the intervention on key outcomes, including early uptake of antenatal care, facility based delivery, postnatal visits, coverage of exclusive breastfeeding, and uptake of HIV PCR testing in infants at 6 weeks. We will also examine the effects of the intervention on immunization uptake up to 12 months and knowledge and practices of CCGs and mothers pertaining to maternal, newborn and child health.