Does Awareness Matter for the Improved Community Health Fund? Evidence from Street Vendors in Dodoma City, Tanzania

Abstract

Globally, countries are implementing pro-poor reforms to advance healthcare’s accessibility to all people. The community health fund is part of the global strategies to attain universal health coverage and accessibility of healthcare services. Thus, the community health fund is cited as a possible strategy for granting access to basic healthcare services to the poor and workers in the informal sectors such as street vending without facing financial difficulties. The study was set to assess the awareness of the street vendors on the improved Community Health Fund in Dodoma City Tanzania. Data were collected using a questionnaire from a sample of 100 street vendors and focus group discussions (FGDs) from 24 participants from Dodoma City. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively while qualitative data involved thematic analysis of the recorded interactive discussions with the participants. The findings revealed that most street vendors were aware of the Improved Community Health Fund (iCHF). Similarly, the results showed that the level of awareness of the street vendors about the procedures for the registration and the benefits package was low. In the same breadth, the findings indicated that most street vendors had never attended sensitization seminars and training from CHF officials. The study concludes that the high level of awareness has not translated into high enrollment and registration of the street vendors to the improved CHF. Thus, the CHF management is called upon to provide education through radio and social media to raise the awareness of the street vendors about the benefits and registration procedures of the improved CHF.