Reliable healthcare is often out of reach for poor households. Even when clinics or providers are nearby, their costs are often prohibitive. When poor people need treatment, out-of-pocket expenses often make safe, reliable care unattainable.
We apply our expertise in financial services and in mobile health to develop financial products that enable the poor to manage the economic burden that accompanies healthcare needs.
Highlighted Program:
Microfinance and Health Protection
Microfinance is a powerful tool in the fight against poverty and hunger, but the positive impacts of microfinance can be undermined when a client or family member falls ill, causing late payments or even default. This is especially true in very poor, rural communities, where people are exposed to more health risks and have few options for health care.
Microfinance and Health Protection promotes and supports good health through an integrated set of services - health and nutrition education, health financing and microinsurance, linkages to health providers, and access to health products.
This integrated approach to health reaches poor women and their families through a network of Financial Service Providers and other organizations.
Microfinance and Health Protection is a legacy program of Freedom from Hunger, now part of Grameen Foundation. It was launched in 2006 with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and continues to guide the health component of many projects today.