Integrating Microfinance and Health - Global Microcredit Summit 2011

More documents

Recommendations

Info

its clients. The doctors worked at the clinics, but the nurses would travel into the communities todiscuss family planning.Beginning in 2005, the doctors and nurses would travel together into the communities toorganize ―health days,‖ during which they would focus their attention on sexual and reproductivehealth issues by training women and providing them related services, such as Pap smears andfamily planning consultations. In a one-month period alone, the PMN medical staff processed atotal of 35 abnormal Pap smears, of which 30 were pre-malignant and 5 were cancerous. Of the35 cases, 16 were treated directly in the communities. The cost to the client for a Pap smearthrough PMN was approximately $1.80 (40 córdobas), whereas it might have cost the client $19in a clinic. However, the fees paid by the clients to Pro Mujer combined with donor subsidiestogether covered only 60 percent of the costs actually incurred to provide these services. Thedifference was covered by cross-subsidization by revenue from the financial services. A costingstudy published in 2006 indicated that it cost $156,099 to make these health services available to17,413 clients and their families. 5This same study revealed that there was a high level of satisfaction among the clients with theintegrated offering of microfinance, business and empowerment training, preventive healtheducation and primary health services. Clients noted improved self-esteem, access to moreaffordable health services, improved access to medical providers and appreciation of theconvenient ―health days.‖ Clients also revealed improved knowledge and practice of cancerprevention through Pap smears. Thirty-six percent of women in the focus groups reported tohave had a Pap smear before joining Pro Mujer and 95 percent of them had had one sincejoining.Between 2008 and 2010, PMN began partnering with Global Partnerships, PATH and LinkedFoundation to improve its health service offerings. Although already offering an impressiveproduct, PMN wanted to find a way to make its health services more financially sustainable. ProMujer led an initiative supported by Global Partnerships, PATH and Linked Foundation to5 Junkin R, Berry J, Perez ME. Healthy Women, Healthy Business: A Comparative Study of Pro Mujer’s Integrationof Microfinance and Health Services. New York, NY: Pro Mujer. 2006.https://promujer.org/dynamic/our_publications_1_Pdf_EN_English%20Version-Jan07.pdf42
develop a new model for service delivery and launched a pilot with revised content aiming at theearly detection of chronic non-communicable conditions and primary care services. The healthmodel was designed to test the financial viability of the revised service package. Through thepilot, it decided to focus on providing medical services that focus on preventing, detecting andtreating the following illnesses: breast and cervical/uterine cancer, diabetes, hypertension,domestic violence, diarrhea, respiratory ailments, kidney disease and ailments caused byparasites. Pro Mujer is now piloting a preventive care/diagnostic package that includes blood andurine tests, body mass index, diabetes screenings, blood pressure tests and three medicalconsultations. This package also includes training to the clients by the credit officers to helpthem understand the causes of and how to prevent the diseases listed above. In addition to thecare that will be provided by two medical doctors and nurses in each branch, PMN isestablishing alliances and discounted pricing with specialized doctors and pharmacies to coverfurther treatment when necessary. Thus, with this model of delivery, there is a parallel medicalstaff for the provision of healthcare services, but a unified model of integration where the creditofficer provides both financial services and health education. Pro Mujer is able to expand theservices it provides by negotiating cheaper rates with other medical providers and specialists.The annual cost to the client for this new model of health care is $29 (580 córdobas), or $2.40per month. During this pilot phase, this cost and service are obligatory. In April 2011, after sixmonths of pilot operations, 3, 287 clients were participating in the new health service package. 6Pro Mujer estimates it will be able to cover all of its costs to provide this revised health-servicepackage in two years and it also plans to open the services up to the client’s family as well, ascurrently, this service is for the client only.Pro Mujer’s lessons learned are that clients are willing to pay for services as long as their needsare satisfied, that there is a need to achieve a balance between what clients need and what theinstitution views as its needs, and that by providing health services directly, Pro Mujer can buildtrust and strengthen relationships with its clients.6 Salvador, G. Wealth and Health: Leveraging Microfinance for Better Health Outcomes. Presentation made atGlobal Health Conference, June 13, 2011.43
Page 1 and 2: 2011 Global Microcredit SummitCommi
Page 3 and 4: Integrating Microfinance and Health
Page 6 and 7: Microfinance clients and staff freq
Page 8 and 9: In data collected in three countrie
Page 10 and 11: Table 1: Principal barriers to heal
Page 14 and 15: outcomes (Box 1) that are criticall
Page 16 and 17: MFI-sourced over-the-counter health
Page 18 and 19: to women’s health. One such area
Page 20 and 21: As described above, research with B
Page 22 and 23: and health micro-insurance. Further
Page 24 and 25: Microfinance providers clearly can
Page 26 and 27: Figure 2. Range of health-related i
Page 28 and 29: and private-sector health professio
Page 30 and 31: BibliographyAnderson GF. Missing in
Page 32 and 33: Metcalfe M & Reinsch Sinclair M. En
Page 34 and 35: U.S. Agency for International Devel
Page 36 and 37: ASIAOrganization Health Services Co
Page 38 and 39: Organization Health Services Countr
Page 40 and 41: Appendix BThree Case Descriptions:
Page 42 and 43: Rigorous studies conducted in 2008
Page 46 and 47: All programs are currently particip
Page 48 and 49: The MAHP initiative found that heal

Integrating Microfinance and Health - Global Microcredit Summit 2011

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?