KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
SPOTLIGHT
Community Health Care October 2022 (Pre-Read) Suman - Health Leader - India
SUMMARY Challenge: Providing the underserved with access to primary health services. Featured Solution: Microfinance organizations leverage their ability to mobilize communities at scale to integrate health education and facilitate linkages to health services, products, and financing solutions to women living in poverty. SUCCESS has been seen in the development of people who would create/implement such an ecosystem. u Health Leaders u Health Entrepreneurs
LOOKING FORWARD: We expect to see the following developments. u Launch Health Finance
program
u Expanding to new
microfinance partners in India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh
u Expanding to microfinance
partners in Nepal
u Develop evidence base
around leveraging microfinance networks for community health programs
INTEGRATING MICROFINANCE & HEALTH SERVICES
Health Systems Strengthening THE CHALLENGE: HEALTH & FINANCING BARRIERS For millions living in poverty, healthcare is unaffordable and inaccessible, with further inequalities for those in rural and remote areas. Nearly 996 million people spend more than 10% of their income on health care out-of-pocket and 90 million are still being pushed into extreme poverty due to health care costs.1 Greater access to primary healthcare could save 60 million lives with 3.7 years added to average life expectancy. There is a health worker shortfall of 18 million expected in low income countries by 2030 which will deepen inequalities in access to healthcare. Over 3,500 microfinance institutions (MFIs) provide microcredit and financial services to more than 155 million households worldwide. Conservative estimates indicate that at least 34 million of these households are very poor, representing around 170 million people, many in remote areas beyond the reach of health agencies, both private and governmental. A small but increasing number of MFIs offer health-related services, such as education, clinical care, community health workers, health-financing, and linkages to public and private health providers. A small but growing number of studies have attempted to show that MFIs are capable of contributing to health improvement. The interventions primarily enrich knowledge that leads to positive behavioral change. Some studies also show enhanced access to health services through addressing financial, geographic, and other barriers.2 OPPORTUNITY’S INNOVATION: HEALTH LEADERS & ENTREPRENEURS Opportunity International Australia (Opportunity) started its Health program in 2012 in India in partnership with Cashpor, a microfinance organization serving Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Now the program works alongside over a dozen MFIs in 4 countries – India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Nepal – which have a combined reach of over 11 million clients. These achievements have occurred due to the three flagship initiatives: Health Leaders, Health Entrepreneurs, and Health Finance. These three initiatives work in tandem to improve access to last mile primary healthcare. They support the communities we serve to seek, reach, pay for health care, and to engage actively in their health and wellbeing.
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SPOTLIGHT highlights Opportunity International innovations and industry trends.