The World Health Organization, together with South Africa's National Department of Health have trained 110 Facilitators on the new WHO cost effective Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) facilitation methodologies covering the IMCI computerized adaptation training tool (ICATT) and distance learning IMCI (dIMCI).

ICATT is an eLearning tool that provides the possibility of health care workers to be trained on IMCI on line. dIMCI provides for those without online access ensuring they can still be trained using the distance learning methodology. The training was in line with WHO's programme of providing technical updates on the recently updated IMCI guidelines and to support countries finalize their ICATT adaptation.

The participants were oriented on the new IMCI guidelines, trained on the application and use of ICATT for adaptation and training purpose, and assisted in developing draft plans for provincial capacity building during 2014. This capacity building programme will assist South Africa to address a decline in the saturation of primary health care facilities with IMCI trained health professionals.

The main reason for this decline relates to the 11 days traditional methodology and the costs involved of training health professionals. This placed a big burden on the country's human resources because the traditional training kept the workforce away from their respective facilities for extended periods of time. The participants were represented by academic training institutions as well as government health care workers and came from South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.