IBSA Fund Annual Report- GRENADA
Grenada
National Health Insurance Scheme Support Project
Approved Budget:
$742,925
Duration:
July 2017– December 2019
Mostly contributing to:
SDG 3
Partners
Ministry of Health, Social Security and International Business; UNDP Barbados; Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
Overview
The project supports the development of a national health insurance (NHI) programme for Grenada that aims to provide universally accessible and affordable health-care services. It is expected that, in the longer term, the NHI will facilitate a population-wide, cost-effective programme with a focus on efficient, quality and affordable care for vulnerable and marginalized populations and those living in poverty.
Results (Intended Outcomes/Outputs)
- Establishment of the NHI secretariat, including infrastructure and human resources;
- Review and recommendations of the governance structure for the NHI programme as well as capacity-building and technical support for NHI management;
- Analysis and framework development for NHI programme options for revenue generation;
- Analytical report of a macroeconomic study for Grenada;
- Drafting of NHI legislation and regulations; and
- Technical support in the development of standards of care and contracts with health-service providers.
Key Achievements
- The NHI Secretariat was established along with human resource arrangements. The staff capacity was developed in NHI administration and operations; and
- Over 600 persons were engaged in public education and advocacy forums, increasing knowledge about the programmes and facilities at NHI in Grenada.
Link of the Project to National Priorities
Universal health coverage delivered through an NHI coverage mechanism will align with the Government of Grenada Strategic Plan for Health 2016–2025. The Government began to explore the development of an NHI programme in 2013. This project will accelerate these efforts and is in alignment with the current efforts of the Ministry of Health to fundamentally reform the health sector through legislative and other changes.
Strengthening South-South Cooperation
Learning exchanges with the British Virgin Islands and Aruba provided an opportunity for the NHI staff to gain knowledge about health insurance systems, rules and procedures, and medical data analysis, among others.
Challenges and Lessons Learned
Insufficient human resource capacity in the Grenada health-care system was identified as one of the major challenges. However, it also created an opportunity for the development of uniform clinical standards of care as well as institutional and human capital improvements.
The project created an avenue for convening community engagement forums for the dissemination and exchange of information relating to health-care service needs and experiences in health-care service delivery. This formed the basis for the development of a research agenda and tools geared towards a scientific and methodological collection of data pertaining to user knowledge, attitude, perception and satisfaction with health-care service delivery and the adequacy of service facilities.
Way Forward
The Grenada National Health Insurance Scheme Support Project concludes in December 2019. To continue the implementation process, the Government of Grenada has formalized an institutional arrangement to spearhead and manage this process for the NHI Programme in Grenada.
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