Mombasa mother and child/ Luigi Guarino via Flickr ; CC BY 2.0

Maternity fee waiver in Kenya

Comparing the impact and cost effectiveness of two social protection interventions in Kenya: fee waiver versus social health insurance scheme

Led by Prof. Chris T. M. Elbers, Amsterdam Institute for International Development (AIID), the Netherlands

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About the research group

Healthcare schemes can be a form of social protection that aims to improve health outcomes and thereby contribute to inclusive development. In Kenya, user fees at primary care facilities and for maternal healthcare constitute a barrier to access healthcare. To address this, in 2013 the government formulated a Free Healthcare Policy (FHP) that led to waiver of all user fees for maternity services in all public health facilities. Another intervention, which offers households an affordable health insurance package, is the Community Healthcare Plan (TCHP) for dairy farmers in the informal sector. It was initiated in Nandi County, Kenya in 2011. This study compares the cost effectiveness and impact of the FHP and the TCHP interventions and how they lead to inclusive development.

Consortium
  • African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), Kenya
  • Health Policy Project (HPP), Kenya
  • PharmAccess Foundation, the Netherlands
Main question

How cost-effective is the policy of free maternal care in all public facilities and free primary care in public dispensaries and health centres in Kenya compared to the TCHP health insurance programme in Kenya’s Nandi County?

Country focus
  • Kenya