Oman
Highlights
From vertical programmes to holistic system: how Oman is improving child health outcomes
29 July 2025, Muscat, Oman – Oman has been making advances in childhood health care for more than 20 years, steadily moving from disease-specific vertical programmes to a coordinated, multidisciplinary system. The strategy has led to remarkable progress in child health and offers a model for integrated care. Oman began implementing the integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI), with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), in 1999. IMCI is a WHO strategy to reduce child mortality and morbidity by integrating preventive and curative interventions. By 2000, Oman had established a national IMCI programme and began forming a national committee and multisectoral working groups to implement WHO’s IMCI guidelines tailored to national needs. The initial phase (1999–2001) involved policy-makers, health workers and educators. Health professionals from nursing, immunization, nutrition and health education collaborated to align efforts to address the health needs of children under 5....