Protecting the Health Status of the Poor During the Financial Crisis in Mongolia

Abstract

This brief explores the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) grant assistance for Protecting the Health Status of the Poor during Financial Crisis Project in Mongolia. The objective of the project is to protect the health of the poor in Mongolia during the financial crisis. The project intends to (i) ensure targeted poor households' access to health services during the financial crisis through the implementation of the medicard program, (ii) contribute to the prevention of malnutrition among poor households through the targeted distribution of micronutrients, and (iii) document and analyze the experience and propose policy reforms to lower financial barriers that prevent the poor from accessing health services. About 50% of eligible poor households are expected to benefit from the medicard program and at least 15,000 children below 3 years old in the project aimags will receive micronutrients during the prescribed period.