Social Protection Measures for Increasing Access to Health Services

Abstract

Social protection is concerned with preventing, managing, and overcoming situations that adversely affect people’s well-being. According to the World Bank (2013) social protection in health (SPH) mechanisms are public interventions that assist households and communities to better manage financial risks caused by health expenditure, as well as provide support to the critical poor. Various social protection interventions have been used to support the most vulnerable to access health facilities at individual, community or health service levels. Successful examples in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) include cash transfers, vouchers, and mutual health insurance. Many aid interventions can also be classified as forms of social protection, and the attention given to this sector is increasing (Weijs et al., 2012). K4D helpdesk reports provide summaries of current research, evidence and lessons learned. This report was commissioned by the UK Department for International Development