Half a million people sign up for M-TIBA
M-TIBA announces the registration of 500,000 users on the mobile health platform, following its commercial launch in September 2016.
- Apr 13, 2017
12th April 2017, Nairobi, Kenya – M-TIBA announces the registration of 500,000 users on the mobile health platform, following its commercial launch in September 2016. The mobile health wallet developed by CarePay, PharmAccess and Safaricom – allows users to send, save, receive and pay for healthcare services using their mobile phones.
Bob Collymore, CEO, Safaricom says, “The growth in M-TIBA users has surpassed our expectations. The majority of Kenyans are excluded from mainstream health insurance schemes. M-TIBA empowers them to take care of their own healthcare and rollover their savings from month to month. It is providing long term benefits to individual customers and the entire healthcare sector.”
M-TIBA is changing how Kenyans are paying and accessing healthcare. Users can save funds into their own wallets, accessing them quickly in the event of sickness, or to pay for preventive care. They can receive money from caregivers and donors, who can be certain that the money will be used for health only. This means less time for an illness to progress and a quicker return to health and productivity.
Kees van Lede, Chief Executive Officer, CarePay Ltd, says, “Hitting the half a million mark is a first milestone in rolling out M-TIBA across Kenya. By restricting the funds in the platform’s individual wallets to healthcare only, people have more money available when struck with illness. It is encouraging to see a gradual reduction in out-of-pocket expenses. This is an important step towards greater healthcare inclusion.”
Over 4,000 people sign up on M-TIBA every day. It has recorded over 60,000 clinic visits and over Sh. 100,000,000 million in medical payouts. There is a fast-growing network of over 350 M-TIBA healthcare facilities across the country. Facility sign up teams are currently in Nyanza and Western.
Millicent Olulo, Country Director PharmAccess, says: “PharmAccess works with these clinics and hospitals to improve standards and business management through SafeCare. It provides the clinics with loans where needed, and attracts international donors to co-finance the development of the platform and its services. This will enable the facilities connected to M-TIBA to provide better healthcare services to their clients.”
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For media enquiries please contact:
Sharon Lwane: slwane@levanterafrica.com : +254 702 479 545
Kui Kinyanjui MKinyanjui@Safaricom.co.ke , +254 721 676 543