Management of the Child with a Serious Infection or Severe Malnutrition: World Health Organization, 2000, pound8.75, pp 162. ISBN 9241545313

It is a pleasure to review a paediatric text book for developing countries which indicates in a foreword its intended audience without trying to be all things to all men and women. This manual is intended for health workers who will be diagnosing and treating children at the first referral level. This will mean hospitals or large health centres which have access to basic investigations and to the essential drugs. The basic principles of treatment have been taken from the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness programme produced by WHO and others. This has the advantage that these health workers will be using the same principles of diagnosis and treatment as health workers in smaller establishments. …