For our research, understanding the barriers that prevent equitable access to healthcare is crucial. A recent study, conducted as part of our collaborative research consortium, sheds light on the challenges faced by the poorest communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, especially regarding primary healthcare access. In October 2024, the study was published in the International Journal of Equity in Health, a renowned and peer-reviewed public health journal.
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A Step Forward – Official Launch of the OPD Pilot Project
On October 24, 2024, the Social Health Protection (SHP) Program, KfW Development Bank, and State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan formalised their collaboration with the signing of a contract to launch the Outpatient Department (OPD) Pilot Project. This event marks a critical step in a long period of preparation and negotiation and the official beginning of this important initiative.
Continue readingNew evidence on changes in outpatient-care utilisation and out-of-pocket expenditures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)
The most recent wave of the household panel survey which is organised by the population panel working group of our research consortium provides interesting new insights on rising healthcare costs and how they impacted health care utilization in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan.
Continue readingResearch symposium on social health protection in Peshawar, Pakistan
On May 2, 2024, our research consortium organized a symposium entitled “Strengthening Social Health Protection in Pakistan – Emerging Evidence and the Way Forward”, held at Khyber Medical University. It served as a significant platform for diverse participants from academia as well as policy and practice to converge and discuss the multifaceted landscape of social health protection research and policy in Pakistan (Symposium program). Symposium program
Continue readingLaunch of SHPI Research Phase 2024-25
The launch of the SHPI Research Phase 2024-25 on the 26th of February, 2024 was marked by the presence of key program stakeholders involved in the KfW Implementation Research Project. Dr. Zohaib from Khyber Medical University (KMU) set the tone with welcoming remarks, initiating a round of introductions among the attendees.
Continue readingConsultative meeting with SHPI-II stakeholders to prepare next phase of research
On December 14th, 2023, a gathering of the research consortium and program stakeholders in Islamabad, Pakistan, marked a significant step towards preparing for the next phase of our research. The Consultative Meeting on the KFW Implementation Research Project brought together representatives from the Social Health Protection Initiative (SHPI), the German Development Bank (KfW), management4health (M4H), Khyber Medical University (KMU), Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS), FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), and Heidelberg Institute for Global Health (HIGH), united by a common goal: strengthening collaboration for improving healthcare delivery and access, through the upcoming OPC (Outpatient Care) scheme.
Continue readingPopulation panel in Pakistan to prepare for an upcoming in-person data collection
For approximately two weeks, the population panel team convened in Pakistan, to lay the groundwork for the upcoming in-person data collection, of the 4th wave of the household panel. The activities were joined with training and preparations for the 1st wave of the extended household survey by the DEval team.
Continue readingSeven years later: Hospital utilization and financial protection under an established inpatient insurance scheme
Five years ago, our team delved into the impact of the SHPI insurance, which at that time, only covered inpatient care. We were curious about how this insurance affected the healthcare consumption of the poor, and so we conducted a baseline survey in 2015 and a follow-up survey in 2017. Our latest research project takes things further with a phone-based follow-up survey to measure the long-term effects of this established inpatient insurance scheme.
Continue readingDissemination meeting: public provider, private provider, and population panel
On June 16, the research consortium invited the key stakeholders of the SHPI Phase II project to a dissemination workshop of three new policy briefs. The workshop took place online and was a great opportunity for the research team members to present some insights on both the provider as well as the beneficiary side which are relevant for the implementation of the OPD insurance scheme, scheduled to start soon.
Continue readingDr. Matthias Nachtnebel (KfW) visits FAU: Guest lecture about SHPI in Pakistan
On 13th of June 2023, the FAU team was honored to welcome Matthias Nachtnebel (KfW, Health Advisor Asia) in Erlangen. He was invited to give a guest lecture entitled “Social Health Protection Initiative Pakistan: To be or not to be” to students and faculty at the Institute of Economics.
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