SHGs either through Self Help Promoting Institutes (SHPIs) or through Microfinance Institutes (MFIs).

Access to essential medicines is a matter of global concern. It was estimated that 499-649 million people (50% to 65% of the population)1 do not have regular access to essential medicines in India. Ill health & economic losses push 22 lakhs Indian below poverty line every year. In 1999-2000, 5% of total household consumption expenditure went into health spending; drugs accounting for the bulk of 4%. In rural areas households spend over 6% and urban households 5%.2 50% of total medicines expenditure goes on buying irrational medicines.

CDMU has taken an initiative to focus on those NGOs who are providing microcredit to the SHGs, so that interested NGOs can provide services to women’s groups to ensure accessibility of proper health care and health products to their members and their family when they are sick along with the loan for business.

In the last years, CDMU has been supporting a health project (Microfinance & Health Protection Project) of Bandhan on capacity building for rational use of medicines especially on health product related information as well as supplies of low cost essential quality medicines for their community level volunteers.

In the rural areas it is found that there is no access to public health facilities or retail outlet [or if available it is not cost effective] for urgent need of commonly used health products. Therefore CDMU can enhance the access of those essential commonly used product to the community through SHPIs and MFIs at an affordable cost. Thus saves family income on buying medicines. In many situation it was found that many occasion a family spend on buying unnecessary medicines like vitamin, tonics and cough syrups or through self medication.

CDMU can expand its services to SHPIs or MFI of those areas in the following areas:

Supply of health products like paracetamol, ORS, antacid, albendazole, iron folic acid, oral contraceptive pills, antiseptic lotion, metronidazole, etc

Educating the community volunteers on above products mainly on its use, storage, doses, contraindications, etc.

Educating community volunteers on misuse of resources for buying certain unnecessary medicines like vitamin, tonics & cough syrups or through self-medication.

Educating staffs of SHPIs or MFIs on storage of medicines.

Steps for expansion of services to MFIs or SHPIs:

Contacting MFIs or SHPIs thorugh personnel visits

Initially we shall target those MFIs or SHPIs having more than 500 credit groups

After initial visit a list of MFIs or SHPIs will be prepared for sensitization meeting

Sensitization meeting will be organize with the selected MFIs or SHPIs for sharing of the concept in details and cost sharing

The interested MFIs or SHPIs will select the groups and community volunteers for initial training on medicines

Select a specific place in MFIs or SHPIs for storing of medicines

Approach to drug control authority for drug license which is mandatory for storing of medicines and legal requirement of the land

Select staff of MFIs or SHPIs for storing of medicines

Supplying medicines to MFIs or SHPIs

Feedback meeting with staffs

Monitoring and Documentation

Source:
+ World Medicine Situation. WHO 2004
+ S Shaktiveel. Financing and Delivery of Health Care Services in India