M-Tiba entered the Kenyan market as a mobile wallet that allows its users to save and even borrow money at low cost.
It operates as a health insurance in your mobile. With more than 500,000 users on the platform, members have a couple of choices. They can send, save, receive and pay for healthcare services using the money that they have saved on their mobile phones.
So far, the healthcare providers who are connected have treated more than 100,000 patients, generating more than KES140 million in medical transactions through M-TIBA.
M-Tiba heralded a new chapter in the provision of healthcare services in Kenya. It allowed donors and even insurers to use this product in offering different healthcare financing products.
According to Safaricom, the number of people saving on the mobile platform has been increasing at a rate of 56% since January 2017.
Yet, it is not just about those who have saved money. As a caregiver, you can send money to your dependents and are guaranteed that it will be used for the intended purpose-healthcare- only.
If innovation is anything to go by, then the development of M-TIBA by CarePay, PharmAccess Foundation, and Safaricom adds to the everyday quest to provide sustainable solutions to everyday problems.
It is little surprise that M-Tiba has been awarded the 2017 Financial Times/IFC Transformational Business Award in Sustainable development with a focus on Health, Wellness and Disease Prevention.
Kees Van Lede, CEO, CarePay says, ”The support of all our partners has been invaluable in building M-TIBA and us being recognized as a transformational business. We’ve built a platform that allows for a more efficient and transparent way of connecting patients, doctors, payers and governments.”
Currently, there are ten donor and corporate schemes running on M-Tiba. In partnership with National Health Insurance Fund, (NHIF), the dream is to reach as many Kenyans as possible regardless of their economic status.
“As NHIF gears up towards universal health coverage, M-TIBA can help us to reach low-income groups who up to now were excluded from health insurance schemes.” NHIF CEO Mr. Geoffrey Mwangi says,
The introduction of M-Tiba comes at a time when the government and private sector are seemingly paying more attention to the need to strengthen the healthcare systems in Kenya.
The timing could not have been better. Two out of every five Kenyans who need care, do not seek treatment from hospitals simply because they do not have the means to pay for the service.
The number of people who do not have medical insurance is still very high.
Safaricom CEO, Bob Collymore, notes
“For many Kenyans, a trip to the clinic can create real financial strain. Unexpected healthcare costs are still one of the main reasons people fall even further into poverty. This award is a great recognition of how mobile – through innovative solutions like M-TIBA – is transforming access to essential services for millions of Kenyans.”
Dr. Khama Rogo, Head of Health in Africa Initiative, IFC/World Bank Group, says, “If there is any disruptive innovation happening on the African continent today that is leading us towards the attainment of universal health coverage, this is it. M-TIBA is truly leapfrogging healthcare in Kenya.”
For more information on how to access M-Tiba http://m-tiba.co.ke/category/media-coverage/
