Targeted Subsidies to Improve Enrolment to Community-Based Health Insurance Among Poorest Households: Why Do We Need to Consider Community Perceptions and Criteria of Poverty During the Identification Process?

Introduction:

Most of Poverty analyses in Developing country are based on monetary poverty concept targeting the incomes and consumption of households. Thus a household is regarded as poor if its incomes or its consumption level is low compared to a poverty line predefined. This conception doesn't take into account the own perceptions and aspirations of people; hence the development of community methods and criteria to define poverty in a given area, settlement.

Objective:

To identify the community’s perceptions and criteria of poverty

 Methods

The study was conducted in Nouna health District located in North -West of Burkina Faso. A sample of heads of households was selected in each village to take part to the focus-group discussions we organized in 41 villages and 7 sectors of Nouna town around the concepts and perceptions of poverty. The discussions have been recorded, transcribed and analyzed using the software Nvivo9. We used the community wealth ranking as method to rank the households.

Results               

We will keep from debates about poverty and subjective perceptions of communities that it is mainly deprivation of capacities; basis needs shortage, indecent conditions of life. Another important aspect is an absence of social capital ie a social relations network on which to refer to face the problems.

Conclusion:

Poverty is better felt by the one who is concerned or lives in the context than anybody. Therefore the community perceptions about poverty/ wealth   reflects a certain realism in the way to appreciate the topic. The community perceptions and criteria of poverty are therefore determining if we want to undertake community development actions.

 Key-words: Self appraisal – Poverty – Wealth – Community – Rural – Burkina Faso