The Ministry of Human Development requested assistance from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF-Bolivia) in reaching the decade child survival goals as a component of its Programme of Strategic Activities (La Iniciativa PAE) to provide a baseline against which health programme impact could be measured. The 82 communities selected for the study in May 1996 agreed to accept the support of local authorities and NGOs. With technical assistance from CIETmexico, over 3,000 households were surveyed about diarrhoea prevalence, child care practices, mothers’ education, and knowledge of preventive and treatment measures.