Assesment Of Community Health Fund On Non Public Servants In Dodoma Urban District

ABSTRACT

The assessment of Community Health Fund was conducted in Dodoma urban District within the Dodoma region. Dodoma municipal is among the few municipals in Tanzania whereby the scheme is operating in urban settings. As suggested by Mulligan et al. (2007), by 2015 CHF in urban areas is projected to achieve 15 percent coverage of the urban population. We have very few years to reach the projected time and still the coverage in urban areas is very low. About 3.4 percent of all Tanzanians benefit from this scheme as premium members or other beneficiaries. Community Health Fund operates in 109 districts in Tanzania. The annual membership fees in all these districts ranges between 5,000 Tsh and 30,000 Tsh; 59 districts have set 5,000 Tsh, 32 district contribute 10,000 Tsh, and 4 districts  pay 15,000 Tsh for each household while only one district charges the members 30,000 Tsh annual fees contribution. This study has examined the willingness of the people to become members of this scheme, and assessed the awareness of the people who lives in Dodoma municipal about this health scheme. The study has observed that low enrollment of CHF members in Dodoma are not due to low economy, poor health services, and absence of drugs in different health centers but is due to the unawareness of the people about the scheme on the importance of joining the Community Health Fund. The recommendations suggested for this study are policy makers have to change the content of CHF because the Act does not force people to be members of this scheme. The scheme authorities have to sit together with the community and share experiences about good way to operate the scheme. Also the scheme has to create other sources of fund to increase income of the scheme.