5 partnering microcredit and healthcare

[chris macrae]

JOSB vol 2(1) pp26-43 -paper health and microfinance- leveraging the 2 sectors to alleviate poverty -by Sheila Leatherman U North CarolinaChapel Hill, Marcia Metcalfe Freedom From Hunger Davis CA et al

Freedom From Hunger and 5 MFIs - Benin (PADME), Bolivia  (CRECER 0 1), Burkina Faso(RCPB 0), India (Bandhan 0), Phillippines(CARD0)  -tested whether mfis could sustainably offer health-related services with positive health and social impact for client. Health services ranged through education, health financing  (loans, savings and microinsurance) to linkages with health providers and health products. We find that mfis offer large and growing distribution networks that can provide services to improve health and financial security accuing to multiple stakeholders. Relatively modest investments to support integration of health and financial services can yield substantial financial and non-financial benefits.

editors notes: not explicit part of paper, we always aim to clarify ownership details of mfis mentioned in cases but need local correspondence help to cross-validate what may be a fast-changing classification

Ownership - to be checked (your help needed) - PADEM an early world bank investment, CRECER private not for profit;; RCPB credit union/coop ; turned from NGO into shareholder bank; CARD complex - an eraly grameen replicate in 1990 now has both a ngo and a shareholder division (unlclear who shareholders are)

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Jamii Bora www.jamiibora.org kenya -

JOSB vol 1(3) Oct 2011 pp121-126 on page 124 founder of JB Ingrid Munro explains that JB couldn't be sustainable without a members health insurance package - her membership targets families including youth and mothers; it was not possible to sustain 95+% repayments without insurance because in Kenya's slums if a family member fell critically ill the loan recipent spent the money on the family member. What JB did was buy mass contracts with missionary hospitals so deveoping its own health insurance

Admittedly Kenya's situation was fortunate in having a network of missionary hospitals which actually wanted a large contract -thus JB became the world's most eonomical leath insurance benchmark for 200000 families. JB also runs some of its own wellbeing classes- thre is one modeled on alcoholics anonymous which some (mainly male) youth are required to take before becoming members; there is another on empowerment that women who have come from a battered background are supported by

paper avialable infree download issue 3

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2nd social business chair is dedicated to connection between microfinance and microhealth

Inaugural Lecture by Professor Cam Donaldson, Glasgow Caledonian University

JOSB Issue 1 2011 pp 155-167

compares viewpoints on economics of heathcare of yunus and of adam smith

available as free download in issue 1 of JOSB