Table 1.

Description of study hospitals

Hospital	Hospital type	No of beds—total/paediatric	Paediatric outpatient clinic turnover (weekly)	User charging policy	Catchment population	Source
AKTH	Tertiary—with paediatric outpatient clinic offering primary level care	750/55	~1400	User fees charged at 50% of adult rate	Residents of Kano and neighbouring states	AKTH paediatric and hospital record units
MMSH	Secondary—with paediatric outpatient clinic offering primary level care	1000/56	~2100	Consultation and admission provided free to children <14 years. Patients pay for investigations and buy drugs out-of-pocket if not available	Residents of Kano and neighbouring states	MMSH paediatric and hospital record units

AKTH, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital; MMSH, Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital.