Management of Childhood Febrile Illness Prior to Clinic Attendance in Urban Nigeria (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Any response to illness depends on the ability of patient or caregiver to recognize correctly that a problem, in the form of signs and symptoms, is occurring (1) and to evaluate the seriousness of those indicators once recognized (2-4). Culture generally has been shown to influence recognition of illness (5) and choice of care (2,6). For example, the designation of acute respiratory infection (ARI) as 'millet disease' in Uganda necessitates indigenous cures (7). In the case of diarrhoeal diseases, choice of type of western medicine may be based on the duration of illness (8). Choice of care depends on what options are actually available. In rural Zambia, for example, most caregivers have access to only one health facility and possibly one or two medicine shop(s) (9).