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Evaluating an MFI Community Health Worker Program: How microfinance group networks influence intervention outreach and impact.

ABSTRACT: Background:Community Health Workers (CHWs) are considered to be a cost-effective and inclusive solution to address the persistent health workforce shortage in many low and middle-income countries. In recent years, microfinance institutions (MFIs) got increasingly engaged in providing health services delivered by CHWs. Despite their growing importance, little is known about the impacts and implementation barriers of these mostly small-scale initiatives. This paper evaluates an MFI-led CHW program in the Philippines and studies the role of microfinance group networks in influencing program outreach and impact. The intervention aims at disseminating information in poor communities, improving health monitoring through increased check-ups and raising social support. Methods:Clustered randomized controlled trial in 70 communities in the greater area of Metro Manila, the Philippines. The main data was collected in a baseline and follow-up survey and is complemented with extensive sociometric network and geographical data. The main outcome variable is a composite health index based on 10 indicators. The role of the health worker's embeddedness and connectedness in the community for program success is tested using tools of social network analysis. Results:The intervention led to a 3.8% (95% confidence interval (CI)?=?1.3, 6.4) improvement in the composite health outcome. Effects across indicators are mixed and mainly driven by changes in immediate health monitoring behavior: The probability for routine examinations increased in the treatment group by 10.6% (95% CI?=?3.2, 18.1), for regular blood pressure checks by 9.6% (95% CI?=?3.3, 15.9), and for having access to a health care provider by 7.2% (95% CI?=?0.93, 13.5). No statistical effects on general knowledge and social support are observable. Social networks are a key driver of program outreach and impact. Close friends and acquaintances of health workers used and benefited substantially more from the program than more distant ties. Conclusions:Despite the promising immediate behavioral impacts, it remains questionable to what extent such small-scale MFI initiatives can bring transformative and sustainable changes without external support. Microfinance group networks played an important role for the success of the health intervention and further research is needed to better understand how these affect the health care utilization decisions of the clients.

SUBMITTER: Hoffmann R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6571112 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Evaluating an MFI Community Health Worker Program: How microfinance group networks influence intervention outreach and impact.

Hoffmann Roman R

Journal of global health 20190601 1

<h4>Background</h4>Community Health Workers (CHWs) are considered to be a cost-effective and inclusive solution to address the persistent health workforce shortage in many low and middle-income countries. In recent years, microfinance institutions (MFIs) got increasingly engaged in providing health services delivered by CHWs. Despite their growing importance, little is known about the impacts and implementation barriers of these mostly small-scale initiatives. This paper evaluates an MFI-led CHW ...[more]

PMID: 31217962

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Project description:BackgroundMaternal mortality can be prevented in low-income settings through early health care seeking during maternity complications. While health system reforms in India prioritised institutional deliveries, inadequate antenatal and postnatal services limit the knowledge of danger signs of obstetric complications to women, which delays the recognition of complications and seeking appropriate health care. Recently, a novel rapidly scalable community-based program combining maternal health literacy delivery through microfinance-based women-only self-help groups (SHG) was implemented in rural India. This study evaluates the impact of the integrated microfinance and health literacy (IMFHL) program on the knowledge of maternal danger signs in marginalised women from one of India's most populated and poorer states - Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, the study evaluates the presence of a diffusion effect of the knowledge of maternal danger signs from SHG members receiving health literacy to non-members in program villages.MethodsSecondary data from the IMFHL program comprising 17,232 women from SHG and non-member households in rural Uttar Pradesh was included. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify the program's effects on the knowledge of maternal danger signs adjusting for a comprehensive range of confounders at the individual, household, and community level.ResultsSHG member women receiving health literacy were 27% more likely to know all danger signs as compared with SHG members only. Moreover, the results showed that the SHG network facilitates diffusion of knowledge of maternal danger signs from SHG members receiving health literacy to non-members in program villages. The study found that the magnitude of the program impact on outcome remained stable even after controlling for other confounding effects suggesting that the health message delivered through the program reaches all women uniformly irrespective of their socioeconomic and health system characteristics.ConclusionsThe findings can guide community health programs and policy that seek to impact maternal health outcomes in low resource settings by demonstrating the differential impact of SHG alone and SHG plus health literacy on maternal danger sign knowledge.

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Evaluating an MFI Community Health Worker Program: How microfinance group networks influence intervention outreach and impact.

Publications

Evaluating an MFI Community Health Worker Program: How microfinance group networks influence intervention outreach and impact.

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