Sources of health funding in households in the Barrière health area, Kenge Health Zone, Kwango, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Several studies carried out in low- and middle-income countries show that common sources of distress financing can take the form of interest-bearing or interest-free loans from a financial institution, friends, or family members, selling assets such as crops and property, livestock, and mortgaged assets. The study aimed to determine sources of financing for healthcare in households in the Barrière health area. The sampling for this study was non-probability, chosen for convenience. The target population consisted of 83500 heads of households in the Barrière health area, from which 200 heads of households were selected. The survey method was used to collect the data, using a semi-structured interview technique. Data analysis was descriptive, based on the calculation of frequencies and proportions. The Chi-2 test was used to check the links between the characteristics of the participants and the sources of funding for care in the households. The results showed that 35% came from the sale of agricultural produce; 30% from the sale of household valuables; 15% received assistance from third parties; 12% obtained funding from other sources; and only 7.5% financed care from household reserves. In the Barrière health area, as elsewhere in the Democratic Republic of Congo, households are the main sources of health funding. Keywords: sources of financing, health financing, health care financing, households, health expenditure