Have financial difficulties compromised Christian health services’ commitment to the poor?

Overview

Christian health services (CHSs) provide a substantial proportion of health services in many developing countries. This paper outlines the results of research which assessed whether the financial pressures resulting from a decline in their traditional funding sources have compromised CHSs’ initial motivation to serve the poor. The two main approaches CHSs used to increase their income in the 13 countries investigated were by improving their access to government funds through increased cooperation, and increasing user fees. Although some of the CHSs studied seem to be targeting more affluent patients to increase their income, the majority retain their commitment to the poor despite their financial difficulties.