Can community health workers identify omphalitis? A validation study from Southern Province, Zambia.

Objective: Omphalitis, or umbilical cord infection, is an important cause of newborn morbidity and mortality in low-resource settings. We tested an algorithm that task-shifts omphalitis diagnosis to community-level workers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: Community-based field monitors and Zambian paediatricians independently evaluated newborns presenting to health facilities in Southern Zambia using a signs and symptoms checklist.