On the 2019 International Women’s Day representatives from HP+, GRET, UNFPA, UNICEF, ILO, GIZ, JICA, Swiss Development Cooperation, UNAIDS and WHO headed for the World Bank office to attend a P4HC+ facilitated discussion on UHC for the informal sector population.
To allow for common understanding the Joint Learning Network’s definition for informal sector people was used, namely “People who do not receive health coverage through formal employment arrangements including those who work for unregistered or small enterprises, in subsistence agriculture, are unemployed or are not economically active. The definition also includes people who are poor and unable to afford financial contributions to the cost of health care.”
Common to many low- and middle-income countries this population group tends to be the last to be covered under a social health protection scheme: poor people in Cambodia enjoy fee waivers and other benefits to lower costs associated with seeking health care under the Health Equity Fund (HEF) arrangements while private formal sector employees and civil servants are enrolled with the health insurance of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
As an initial step to reach a common vision to promote UHC for the informal sector population stock was taken from related initiatives in Cambodia.
- JICA presented on the initiative jointly developed with the Ministry of Health for non-poor rural people to enrol with the NSSF. This will be piloted in 3 health districts.
- GRET informed about their project that focuses on extension of the HEF to vulnerable Phnom Penh people
- HP+ told the attendees why contributions from rural people can’t be collected in an equitable manner or with economic rationale
- ILO highlighted their experience to enlist construction workers with the NSSF
- GIZ proposed to gradually extend the HEF to selected population groups with considerations of health system aspects and complementarities of demand-side health financing interventions.
A lively discussion ensued, indicating that more sessions will be devoted to the subject.
Presentations can be downloaded via links below:
