Facilitating access to health for factory workers

SNV has partnered with Fondation Carrefour to implement a project to create a comprehensive and easily accessible healthcare system for garment workers. The project is being implemented in five factories in Gazipur and Savar region and has been extended until July 2020.

Bangladesh is the second largest garment exporter with over 4.2 million workers in the sector. Different studies reveal that about 80% of the workers are women and the majority of them do not have access to basic health, hygiene and reproductive health care and rights. The causes are multiple: social barriers, inadequate structures, difficult working conditions, reluctance to raise these issues openly are only some of them. Many actors are already mobilised  at the national level, but there is still no global and/or institutionalised model.

The project is paired with the health insurance initiative set up by SNV in 5 factories in partnership with two insurance companies --- Pragati Life Insurance Limited and Alpha Islami Life Insurance Limited ) and four local health care providers( Centre for Women and Health, Apollo Clinic, Mawna City Hospital and Al Hera Hospital ) for ensuring sustainable healthcare provision for garment workers.

Under this initiative, workers of the factories concerned are benefitting through cashless access to medical consultations, diagnostics services, family planning services and maternal care. The project is cofinanced by all the actors involved: Carrefour Foundation, the Sphere Association, factory managers and the workers. The total cost for the health insurance is estimated at BDT 575 per worker per year where BDT 375 financed by the Careefour Foundation.