Community Health Day serves 8,686 MFI clients

A total of 8,686 MFI clients benefitted in the Community Health Days conducted around the country by the 18 microfinance institutions (MFIs) under the Joint Microfinance and Health Protection Program or MFIs for Health.

Dental care, free or discounted generic medicines, blood typing and free Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) testing were provided during the Community Health Days. The activity endeavors to provide health protection among the microfinance clients who has low or no access to health care.

The MFIs for Health share mutual goals of inclusive provision of health services to the microfinance clients as part of their overall social development.  In general, it strives to build a strong partnership among the participating MFIs to implement an integrated health and microfinance services to MFI clients and make a positive impact in the country’s health situation, and thus contribute to raising the quality of lives of the Filipino people. The program aims to improve the health situation of the MFI clients by making local health delivery system more accessible to them.

The MFIs for Health began as an initiative of CARD MRI, a group of mutually reinforcing institutions which provides microfinance, microinsurance, and other social development programs in health, education and livelihood. Founded by Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip, CARD MRI realized that the poor will be effectively reached out by the program if it engages other MFIs; hence, an agreement among MFIs in the country was formed to replicate CARD MRI’s microfinance and health protection program.