The project of Feasibility Assessment for Introduction of the Community Based Health Financing (CBHF) was funded by Egyptian Social Fund for Development (SFD) and implemented by Curatio International Foundation during the period of September 2005- May 2006. The objective of this mission was to provide technical assistance to the SFD in evaluation of feasibility of CBHF in the selected Egyptian communities and, if CBHF proved feasible, cooperate with the government authorities in developing an action plan for CBHF implementation.

Consultants conducted following activities:

Visited Egypt during November 5 – 22, 2005 and discussed with SFD the methodology of and the approach to the assignment, agreeing on the final methodology to be used in feasibility assessment;
Conducted meetings with the Egyptian government, technical counterparts/experts in the area of health sector financing, and the donors active in health sector reform area;
Identified main risks associated with the implementation of a CBHF scheme in Egypt;
Reviewed the documented evidence about CBHF in Egypt;
With the help of SFD staff and based on the proposed methodology, they identified the sites/communities and institutions in which to conduct visits;
Analyzed the available information relevant to the household health care needs, health service utilization patterns, health care access barriers, socio-cultural factors determining health care seeking behavior, and considered these factors in determining the feasibility of CBHF;
Prepared the feasibility study report and discussed the findings with the client;
Conducted a workshop with the stakeholders to discuss feasibility study findings as well as to propose options and to agree on those conceptual models that were found acceptable by the stakeholders for the pilot project.