Community Health Funds (CHFs) is a
promising means for enhancing social economic security
to low socio-economic households. In 2015 the
government of Tanzania set a goal of achieving 30% of
CHF enrolment amongst households, however only
16.4% was achieved. The government of Tanzania is
continually reforming the Health Fund and the most
recent reform started implementation on 2018 which
changed the name to Improved Community Health Fund
(ICHF). There is a need of knowing if the changes have
affected enrolment status and what could be the driving
factors. Therefore, this study aimed to establish
enrolment status of ICHF and its determinants among
households in Dodoma region.
Methods: This study was a cross sectional study design
which employed multi stage sampling technique
Structured questionnaire was used to obtain information
from a total number of 424 head of the HH; Descriptive
statistics were used to determine status of enrollment
while chi square test and logistic regression were used to
determine factors.
Results: This study found that, of all 424 respondents
only 19.1% were enrolled in ICHF. Wealthiest
households were 2.224 (AOR); p-value (0.034) at CI of
95% (1.063, 4.657) more likely to be enrolled to the
ICHF as compared to poor households. Households with
more than two elders with 60 years old and above, were
2.986 (AOR); p-value 0.006 at the CI of 95% (1.373,
6.496) more likely to be enrolled in ICHF compared to
households with no elderly. And there were statistical
significance between motivational benefits and
availability of health care services with the enrollment
status, household who perceived to receive motivational
benefits once visit health facility were more enrolled as
compared to those who do not and household who
perceive health care service to be available were more
enrolled as compared to who do not, they had chi-square
of 16.017a
and 64.084, p-value of 0.00 and 0.00 at CI of
95% respectively.
Conclusion: Wealth status, presence of elders above 60
years old, motivational benefits and availability of the
HCs were the determining factors for HH to be enrolled
in ICHF. The government should consider poor
households by helping them to pay ICHF enrollment
fees.
Keywords : Improved Community Health Fund, Progressive Payment And Motivational Benefits.
