MGHD 2023

Background: Healthcare is a fundamental human right which, unfortunately, not everyone enjoys equitably. Several governmental and non-governmental organizations, like PIH, run social protection programs to address this challenge to empower the most disadvantaged communities, especially those in low-resource settings. POSER is a socioeconomic empowerment program implemented by PIH in Rwanda that aims to break the cycle of poverty, and poor health outcomes and addresses the social determinants of health through targeted support to selected vulnerable populations. The studies assessing the POSER program in Rwanda are limited, and none have explored the opinions of the beneficiaries. Purpose: This study was conducted to explore beneficiaries’ perspectives on POSER’s impact on their access to healthcare and solicit their recommendations for improvement on the program implementation. Methods: This study implemented a qualitative phenomenological study design. Focus Group Discussions and In-Depth Interviews were conducted to collect data from POSER beneficiaries in Burera district. Results: 43 beneficiaries were interviewed in seven FGDs and fourteen IDIs. Our results showed three themes: (1) POSER improved beneficiaries’ access to healthcare; (2) Beneficiaries still face limitations in accessing healthcare services; and (3) Beneficiaries wish for POSER to upscale the support to meet their needs. These themes reflect beneficiaries’ perceptions of the program on their access to healthcare and forward key points for improvement. Conclusion: This study brought out the varying perspectives of beneficiaries of the POSER program, especially concerning their healthcare access because of the program’s implementation. Beneficiaries' access to healthcare has been significantly improved by the POSER support leading to improvements in health outcomes. Despite these impacts beneficiaries still face challenges and highlighted points for improvement.