M-TIBA signs up 60 facilities in Nairobi

The national roll out of M-Tiba is now underway with the first outlets outside Nairobi in Kisumu, Siaya and Mombasa.The M-Tiba mobile health wallet – developed by CarePay, PharmAccess and Safaricom – allows users to send, save and receive funds to access healthcare services using their mobile phones.

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said M-Tiba has the potential to extend and transform essential health services for millions of Kenyans.

“For many Kenyans, a trip to the clinic can create real financial strain. And it can have a knock-on effect in people holding down jobs, or having to sell their belongings to pay for basic care. This is a burden on low-income homes, with mothers and young children being particularly vulnerable,” said Collymore.

Nearly half of all healthcare expenditure in Kenya is currently paid out-of-pocket. This means many Kenyans have no health insurance or access to mechanisms that pay for basic healthcare.

To encourage healthcare savings, the Pfizer Foundation is funding the first M-TIBA bonus scheme. This sees the first 100,000 users – who register and deposit Kshs. 100, or more, per month – receiving a monthly bonus amount of Kshs. 50 for up to 12 months.