The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government formally launched free Outpatient Department (OPD) services under the Sehat Card Plus program on February 19, 2025, which marks an important milestone for our research consortium.
Continue readingContent
Population Panel: Final Survey Wave Before Scheme Start Successfully Completed
The latest wave of data collection for the population panel represents a significant achievement in understanding the needs and characteristics of beneficiaries under the OPD scheme. An unexpected change in the eligibility criteria for the planned outpatient scheme required our research consortium to update our sample in line with these new criteria. The KMU, FAU and H-BRS teams made this milestone possible through the efficient coordination and mobilization of resources, even without initially budgeting for this major effort.
Continue readingBridging Healthcare Gaps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Insights from a recent publication
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.
Continue readingA Step Forward – Contract for OPD Pilot Project Signed with SLIC
On October 24, 2024, the Social Health Protection (SHP) Program, KfW Development Bank, and State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLIC) 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 readingPopulation panel: First wave of data collection completed
We are happy that the field work of the population panel group started successfully in the end of January 2022. As part of the research consortium for the SHPI Phase 2, the population panel group assesses eligible households’ health conditions and needs, their health care services utilization, and their preferences concerning the design of the outpatient department (OPD) insurance scheme.
Continue readingBackground: the Social Health Protection Initiative
What is SHPI?
In Pakistan, where more than 48 million people live under the national poverty line, health-related expenditures are a major cause of economic shock for poor families. More than half of all the money spent on health comes out of patients’ own pockets. In the absence of social health protection schemes which make health services affordable, many of Pakistan’s poorest citizens simply do not seek care when they fall ill.
Continue reading