The cooperative sector improves healthcare around the world

Cooperatives are a huge benefit to the global health sector. Health cooperatives can benefit numerous health promotion campaigns and reduce risk factors in a country's health. The State cannot be the only provider of healthcare in countries where the market excludes the weakest economic sectors. The cooperative sector is the State's best ally in health provision because it promotes health instead of the business of illness.

An example of one of these cooperatives is the Argentinian Federation of Solidarity Health Entities (FAESS) which is an organised cooperative movement in Argentina, with the purpose of satisfying the needs of the cooperative sector in the field of health. It was created back in 2000 when Argentina was in the midst of a social, political, and economic crisis which left 50% of the population with no health provision. Cardiovascular risk factors are the leading cause of death in Argentina and the cooperative health care system was created as a means to combat that within the country. To read more about the cooperative movement in Argentina, please click here.

Another example of the cooperative model in the health sector is the Organisational Development Plan implemented by Unimed Brazil. The goal of this plan was to create a cooperative governance model to facilitate transparent and fair management. Unimed used this plan to eliminate improper behavior and inefficient management process by fully embracing all the communicative aspects of the cooperative business model. To read more about Unimed Brazil's cooperative health sector, please click here.

Source & Copyright: International Health Cooperative Organization