Since 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has successfully automated payments for over two million African health professionals, transitioning from cash payments to mobile money.
The WHO Digital Finance Team has implemented digital payment systems in 24 African countries, including Benin, Botswana, Madagascar, Rwanda, Togo, and Zimbabwe.
This move aligns with WHO’s participation in the Better Than Cash Alliance, a UN alliance aimed at enhancing payment digitisation and advancing financial inclusion.
“With these inspiring results, WHO is clearly taking a leadership role in accelerating the digital transformation in the provision of health outcomes globally,” said Tidhar Wald, managing director of the Better Than Cash Alliance.
According to the WHO’s Digital Finance Team, more than 80% of workers surveyed in several countries prefer digital payments. Studies funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have shown that timely compensation improves morale and staff retention.
Maria May, senior program officer for Inclusive Financial Systems at the Gates Foundation, stated that over the last four years, WHO has leveraged the increasing presence of mobile money in Africa to ensure that frontline healthcare workers are paid quickly and securely.