Micro health insurance is an emerging concept to reduce poverty and social exclusion and improve health care access. The Handbook of Micro Health Insurance in Africa gives an overview of the challenges and needs in the field of micro health insurance. Focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa, where universal social health protection still has a way to go, the Handbook provides an introduction to the relatively new and promising approach of micro insurance as a risk management tool for low-income households, between the market, self-help, and the state. This book is an output of the project Pro MHI Africa, which is funded by the European Union and directed by the University of Cologne in cooperation with the University of Botswana, the University of Ghana, and the University of Malawi. (Series: Social Protection in Health. Challenges, Needs and Solutions in International Health Care Financing - Vol. 1)

Many countries that subscribe to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have committed to ensuring access to basic health services for their citizens. Health insurance has been considered and promoted as the major financing mechanism to improve access to health services, as well to provide financial risk protection.

The objective of the research project “Development of a training model in the strengthening of microfinance in Uganda” has been the definition and the dissemination of a training model in the field of microfinance in Uganda. The project can be replicated on a national scale and would have the potential to improve the effectiveness of this sector in order to ultimately reduce financial exclusion. The project achieved main results as follows: organization of a specialized course to improve professional capabilities of local experts working in the field of microfinance in Uganda;implementation of the sustainability to be achieved in terms of microfinance projects’ dissemination by helping the new operators to the introduction of new initiatives in remote areas;improvement of the mobility of trained human resources in order to develop develop a comparative approach to microfinance, in particular to the issue of microinsurance;creation of an internet portal, in both Italian and English, to open an interesting communicative window;improvement of the availability of relevant data in order to assess the progress and the impact of microfinance projects;sharing micro-entrepreneurial experiences that can create positive externalities to further expand productive activities;dissemination of best practices that will improve entrepreneurial skills, fostering greater impact on the socio-economic context. The project results have been collected on three publications, whose contributions have been subjected to a scientific evaluation and approval of the scientific direction: The Socio-Economic Impact of Microfinance: the case of “Wekembe”The Uganda Microinsurance Contest

Healthcare for all at affordable prices is still a major but universally elusive goal. Everyone spends money on healthcare, and it is the most impoverishing consumption item. Thus, most governments (and the United Nations) promote Universal Health Coverage — each country's unique blend of tools for healthcare financing, including taxes, subsidies and market controls.Most people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have no health insurance of any kind. And most LMIC governments lack the political will, information, or resources to require their citizens to buy health insurance themselves or to subsidize insurance for all who cannot afford the price. This book deals with financing voluntary and contributory health insurance for resource-poor and rural groups in LMICs.This book addresses three issues. The first is how to catalyse demand for health insurance and develop insurance literacy among the largely illiterate and innumerate target population, using training programs to build an enabling consensus, allowing locals to create and administer such schemes. The second involves the process of developing simplified methods for risk assessment, which can help to underwrite risks, price the micro health insurance schemes, and ensure proper implementation. The third issue is formulating a compelling business case which would make this health insurance affordable, financially sustainable, and operationally scalable.This book develops insurance education and financial literacy for students of economics, business administration, insurance, development studies, and social work to prepare them for practical work as implementers, policymakers, or evaluators. A supplementary section for teachers and students includes comprehension questions.

This book is the first and only study on implementing Universal Health Coverage in poor, rural and informal settings, with end-to-end guidance for rolling out a demand-driven and needs-based health insurance model. The chapters are comprehensive, covering topics such as data collection and analysis for contextual risk assessment, the design of suitable benefits packages, how to price microinsurance, insurance education for illiterate or innumerate populations, the setting up of governance bodies and training staff for key roles, and information management.The book contains insights gained from years of fieldwork in several countries and is valuable reading for undergraduate and graduate students and practitioners of health microinsurance. As a companion to the author's first book, Financing Micro Health Insurance: Theory, Methods and Evidence, this book provides the only current source of information on implementing health microinsurance. The practical guidelines to setting up and operating a microinsurance scheme are accompanied by impact evaluation, chapter exercises and Issue Briefs that present examples of using tools that are necessary for successful implementation.

Risk exposure is a major cause of poverty, deprivation and persistent vulnerability worldwide. This volume analyses individuals' and households' responses to a variety of risks, with an emphasis on health risks. The study adapts the Social Risk Management (SRM) conceptual framework and extends it considerably for academic inquiry. Using household data from Ghana and Malawi, empirical evidence is provided on the complex relationship between high risk exposure and the application of proactive and reactive SRM strategies (inc. health insurance), showing their specific contributions to risk management.