Endemic Non-Communicable Diseases

The NGO MoPoTsyo Patient Information Centre helps to make and keep living with Diabetes and High Blood Pressure affordable for the lower income groups in Cambodia. The focus is on lifestyle but the NGO also organises and facilitates access to essential services through a revolving drug fund, laboratory programme and by organising medical consultations by specialised doctors at certain days for the patients who have become member of this community based Peer Educator Network see http://www.mopotsyo.org

Thanks ,
This organisation looks interesting , may serve as example to other
individuals living with diabetes.
We have participants with diabetes in sub Saharan Africa and I
will try to use your model for income generating projects.

Have a nice day.

Laurien

Freedom from Hunger has been actively working to support and advance the practice of health and microfinance in several countries around the world over the past six years. Please refer to our technical website for a range of tools, resources, and research papers. http://www.ffhtechnical.org/resources/microfinance-health
In addition we are working through our long-time partner CARD MRI (based in the Philippines but also working with MFIs in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam). CARD is currently working with one MFI in Cambodia (SAMIC) to assist them with the addition of health education to their microcredit program. For more about the work that CARD is doing around health with MFIs in SE Asia, you can contact Christian Sandoval (). Hoe this is helpful, and we at Freedom from Hunger are always interested in what others are doing with the integration of health and microfinance.

Thank you so much! Both organisations look very interesting.
Marcia: are you able to send me Christian Sandoval's contact details?
Kind regards
Suchita

Hi Suchita,

We have been trialling an enterprise development project in Indonesia for the last 3 years, whereby families of children with a particular chronic health condition form a support network then come together (with a group mentor) and are able to access interest-free loans to start businesses so they can generate enough income to care for their children and help them to enjoy the highest quality of life possible. Pilot has been successful and now looking to expand to other conditions and regions.

We found the challenge linking health and micro-finance is that most existing micro-finance groups are geographically based, whereas people with particular NCDs (especially less common conditions) are geographically dispersed, and hence access is a challenge. Shouldn't be insurmountable though. Most existing micro-finance projects work on premise of uniting communities / positive peer-pressure etc, and we found this translated well to a community development view of uniting people who are living with NCDs (as with the Diabetes example above). After searching unsuccessfully for other existing programs to collaborate with for a group of parents of children with the same condition who were keen to participate, we ended up having to trial something specific (with thanks to Grameen ...

Hi Suchita,

We have been trialling an enterprise development project in Indonesia for the last 3 years, whereby families of children with a particular chronic health condition form a support network then come together (with a group mentor) and are able to access interest-free loans to start businesses so they can generate enough income to care for their children and help them to enjoy the highest quality of life possible. Pilot has been successful and now looking to expand to other conditions and regions.

We found the challenge linking health and micro-finance is that most existing micro-finance groups are geographically based, whereas people with particular NCDs (especially less common conditions) are geographically dispersed, and hence access is a challenge. Shouldn't be insurmountable though. Most existing micro-finance projects work on premise of uniting communities / positive peer-pressure etc, and we found this translated well to a community development view of uniting people who are living with NCDs (as with the Diabetes example above). After searching unsuccessfully for other existing programs to collaborate with for a group of parents of children with the same condition who were keen to participate, we ended up having to trial something specific (with thanks to Grameen Australia for technical advice and support). So far 100% repayments and great outcomes.

Kind Regards,
Kate Armstrong (www.clanchildhealth.org)

Dear Kate,

Many thanks for the above. I'd quite like to read more about your trial, as it sounds very interesting. Are the details available online? Our setup is definitely much more basic at present (and I'm only here until the end of March!) but it would be really useful to scope out ideas for the longer term.

Thanks again, Suchita