Common Childhood Illnesses: A Digital Training for Community Health Workers

"Caring for Sick Children in the Community" is a free digital training for CHWs on how to identify the signs of common childhood illnesses, care for sick children at home, and refer families to clinical settings when needed.

Worldwide, children between two months and five years of age die mainly from illnesses that can often be prevented or successfully treated. According to UNICEF, pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria were responsible for 30% of deaths among children under age five in 2019. 

Trained community health workers (CHWs) can help identify the early signs of illness, take action to prevent serious illness, and save lives. Continuous access to information on signs and symptoms, home care techniques, and guidance on when to refer families to health facilities is critical in supporting CHWs to provide the best possible care.

We co-developed this digital course with Lwala Community Alliance, One to One Children’s Fund, Philani Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Trust, and an advisory group of CHWs. The content complements standard training, provides additional guidance on key topics, and is aligned with best practices outlined by the World Health Organization and UNICEF as well as the Ministries of Health of Kenya and South Africa.

“We are seeing this as a great opportunity. I don’t think we will go back to doing the training the way we had done them before, because the outcomes are great. The post-test was much better this time around, and the CHWs are excited with the content.”

- Hellen Gwaro, Director of Programs at Lwala Community Alliance in Kenya

Learn more about this project

Access Resources

This project includes six self-paced modules with videos and on-the-job aids, free for use under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.

Content Guide

• FAQ Document: Getting Started on this Course
• Introduction: Your Role in Caring for Sick Children
• Module 1: Cough
• Module 2: Fever
• Module 3: Diarrhoea
• Module 4: Malnutrition
• Module 5: Tuberculosis (TB)
• Module 6: HIV

Introduction: Your Role in Caring for Sick Children

Module 1: Cough

Module 2: Fever

Module 3: Diarrhoea

Module 4: Malnutrition

Module 5: Tuberculosis (TB)

Module 6: HIV

Download the Digital Medic mobile app

View and download all content in the free Digital Medic mobile app for iOS and Android. We recommend this option for learners in settings with limited data and internet connectivity.