Cash Transfers and Older People’s Access to Healthcare: A Multi-Country Study in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe

This report presents the findings of the Social Protection and Access to Health Services for Older People in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe study into the relationship between cash transfers and older people’s access to health services, carried out by Development Action on behalf of HelpAge International and Age International.

The importance of strong health systems and universal health coverage has been widely recognised by national governments and international organisations. In Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also identified ageing and the health of older persons as an area of significant concern in the wider context of improved health for the whole population. Globally, the Sustainable Development Goals have reinforced this understanding that good health should be available to people of all ages. Achieving this requires a mixture of approaches that include both health-related and social protection interventions such as cash transfers.

The report discusses challenges related to healthcare provision in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zimbabwe; offers older people’s perspectives on the key barriers faced in accessing healthcare; and highlights ways in which cash transfers have helped them overcome some of these barriers.