Impacts of unconditional cash transfers on health care utilisation in informal sector households in Togo.

BACKGROUND: Most Togolese population earns their income from informal sector, and they are very often exposed to health outcomes. Cash transfers impact healthcare utilization by improving household's social capital, socio-economic status, lifestyle choice, and physical health. The aim of this paper was to analyse the impact of unconditional cash transfers on health care utilisation in informal sector households. METHODS: We used the propensity-score method to compare health care utilisation by households that received cash transfers from nonbeneficiary households and simulated a potential confounder to assess the robustness of the impacts of the estimated treatment (i.e., cash transfer). Data were obtained from a national survey that covered 1405 households. RESULTS: The results show that women benefited the most from cash transfers (73.1%). Our estimates indicate that health care utilisation increased by 28.3% among workers in the informal sectors who benefited from unconditional cash transfers compared to nonbeneficiaries. The greatest impact was found on agriculture households with an increase by 31.3% in the health care utilisation. In general, cash transfer beneficiaries are more likely to use public health centres; there was an increase in public health facility attendance of 21.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Cash transfers are a valuable social protection instrument that improve health care utilisation of populations in the informal sector. Policymakers could use cash transfer as the infusion of income and/or assets that may impact health outcomes. Cash transfers are an opportunity to alleviate barriers of access to health care by older people. Future research must examine impact of cash transfer on health of vulnerable groups such as older people, children, and people with disabilities.

WHO / DANIDA Training Course: the selection and use of traditional remedies in primary health care - report of an inter-regional workshop

It describes the design and content of the workshop, gives an account of the situation in the countries represented, and concludes with general comments on the workshop and the participants’ proposals for future activities in the field of traditional medicine and the use of medicinal plants. Document in pdf format; Acrobat Reader required.

WHO/DANIDA Intercountry Course on the Appropriate Methodology for the Selection and Use of Traditional Remedies in National Health Care Programme

It describes briefly the design and content of the course, provides a brief summary of the rationale for the development of WHO’s programme on traditional medicine, gives an account of the situation in the countries represented, outlines the responses of the participant evaluations, and concludes with general comments on the course as well as the participants’ proposals for future activities in traditional medicine and the use of medicinal plants. Document in pdf format; Acrobat Reader required.

Memoria. II Foro nacional de desarrollo de recursos humanos del sector salud: la salud en la agenda política nacional / Report. II National Forum on Health Sector Human Resources Development: Health in the National Political Agenda

El libro recoge las ponencias presentadas, discusiones y recomendaciones emitidas en el II Foro Nacional de desarrollo de Recursos Humanos del Sector Salud. Esta actividad reunió a funcionarios del Ministerio de Salud y de las Universidades nicaraguenses, con los candidatos a la presidencia del país de los distintos partidos políticos. En el discurso inagural queda resumido el propósito y contenido del documento en las siguintes palabras. " El propósito del II Foro Nacional, fue posicionar los recursos humanos en salud como actores relevantes en la agenda política nacional de gobierno, dado el rol protagónico en el mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de la población nicaragüense, lo que hizo indispensable que los candidados de los partidos políticos abordaran con las universidades y el Ministerio de Salud, aspectos relacionados con el mercado laboral en cuanto a la oferta y la demanda, la utilización, distribución y satisfacción de los técnicos y profesionales de la salud, la calidad en la formación y la atención en los servicios. Todo esto en aras de la transformación social y la equidad de la prestación del servicio de salud para la población."

II=Segundo Foro Nacional de Desarrollo de Recursos Humanos del Sector Salud: La salud en la agenda política nacional; Memoria / II National Forum on Health Manpower Development: health on the political agenda; proceedings

Foro Nacional de Desarrollo de Recursos Humanos del Sector Salud, 2. Nicaragua. Ministerio de Salud; 9-10 jul. 1996

. Universidad Autónoma de Nicaragua

. Organización Panamericana de la Salud

. Proyecto Desarrollo Educacional en Salud DANIDA