Effects of community health interventions on under-5 mortality in rural Guinea-Bissau (EPICS): a cluster-randomised controlled trial
Background
Evidence suggests that community-based interventions that promote improved home-based practices and care-seeking behaviour can have a large impact on maternal and child mortality in regions where rates are high. We aimed to assess whether an intervention package based on the WHO Integrated Management of Childhood Illness handbook and community mobilisation could reduce under-5 mortality in rural Guinea-Bissau, where the health service infrastructure is weak.
Methods
We did a non-masked cluster-randomised controlled trial (EPICS) in the districts of Tombali and Quinara in Guinea-Bissau. Clusters of rural villages were stratifi ed by ethnicity and distance from a regional health centre, and randomly assigned (1:1) to intervention or control using a computerised random number generator. Women were eligible if they lived in one of the clusters at baseline survey prior to randomisation and if they were aged 15–49 years or were primary caregivers of children younger than 5 years. Their ...