October 15, 2009

People on very low incomes in the developing world may soon be able to access health insurance thanks to the Anglican Health Network (AHN), according to an October 15 news release from the Anglican Communion Office.

Based in Geneva, AHN announced October 6 that it will establish a new pilot project to test the concept of providing a ‘micro health insurance plan' in an African setting. The AHN was established at the Anglican Consultative Council meeting in May 2009.

Its key ambition is to support Anglican health providers to improve health care in the developing world. "In an era when faith communities have been rediscovered as key health services providers, we are pleased to be leading this innovative approach to low income health care" said the Rev. Paul Holley, president and co-founder of AHN.

The introduction of micro health insurance schemes is a recent development of the micro finance movement. Micro finance channels have already been utilized to provide life, funeral and crop insurance to low income populations. Micro health insurance extends that evolution further by offering affordable health services. It allows whole communities to pool the financial risks of illness and accident and improve their access to a higher standard of health care. However, low cost health insurance is a challenging arrangement, which relies on minimal administration and efficient inter-relationships with health care providers. AHN believes that the distribution of Anglican parishes and health facilities will offer a unique structure on which to base a successful scheme, which could potentially cover widespread populations.

For example, the Church of South India is in the process of establishing its own scheme in Kerala, overseen by Bishop John Gladstone and medical director, Dr. Bennet Abraham. The scheme aims to recruit 100,000 people from rural settings within its first year based on services offered by the church's 650-bed hospital.

The Africa pilot is going to be launched in the Diocese of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The location was chosen because of the established presence of AHN's partner, MicroEnsure. U.K.-based MicroEnsure is the acknowledged leader in providing product design, health care provider networks and the IT infrastructure for registration and claims management. Dar es Salaam also has the advantage of having a range of public, and private health care providers, a supportive regulatory structure for non-profit health insurance and the strong support of the Anglican Church in Tanzania. "We are particularly grateful to Archbishop Valentine Mokiwa of Tanzania for agreeing to host this pilot," AHN co-founder, Lee Hogan, said. "We recognize that any pilot will involve problems and adjustments so that an effective scheme can be developed for wider application."

It is expected that the preparatory work for the Africa pilot will require a minimum of six months, after which actual coverage should begin in the second quarter of 2010. Once sufficient data from the pilot is available to refine the scheme, the AHN intends to extend the program to more rural areas and into other African countries. A meeting of archbishops through the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) in Nairobi in September 2009 confirmed a widespread desire to see such a groundbreaking initiative.

The AHN expects to work closely with regional Anglican organizations, such as CAPA in Africa, as this program is expanded in the future. "We recognize that this program could mean the difference for many of the poor in Africa seeking a minimum level of health care, and we are intent on making it available to as many locations as is practical, as soon as possible," Holley concluded.

In welcoming this initiative, the Archbishop of Canterbury commented, "The 2008 Lambeth Conference called for a greater degree of collaboration in the area of international development. The Anglican Health Network has adopted a creative approach to developing a more sustainable health economy in communities served by Anglican parishes."

The Anglican Health Network offers opportunities for Anglicans around the world involved in health services and healing ministries to collaborate in a range of projects, share learning and best practice, and undertake theological reflection. It offers email discussion groups and resources that can be accessed through its website at http://ahn.anglicancommunion.org/index.cfm.

For Further information, contact: the Rev. Paul Holley at paul.holley@anglicanhealth.org or Lee Hogan at leewhogan@hotmail.com

Episcopal News Service
ACNS