Brais Álvarez-Pereira
Nova SBE, and NOVAFRICA
Mattia Fracchia
IE University, IE Business School, and NOVAFRICA
Teresa Molina-Millán
University of Alicante, and NOVAFRICA
Pedro C. Vicente
Nova SBE, BREAD, and NOVAFRICA
ISSN 2183-0843
Working Paper No 2502
March 2025
Abstract:
Sub-Saharan Africa still lags behind in most health indicators. At the same time, Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) are central to healthcare in these countries. They are accessible, share the population’s traditional beliefs, and operate private businesses. We follow the recruitment of THPs to be trained and work akin to Community Health Workers in the formal healthcare system. We randomize messages regarding the program benefits: in one version we underline the pro-social benefits (honor); in the other we emphasize the pro-business benefits (profit). We find that the pro-business message increases THPs’ behavioral interest in the program relative to the other message, consistently with their perceived benefits of the program. This difference is driven by less religious THPs and those with previous collaborations with the formal healthcare system. Profit is likely to be a main motivator for the integration of THPs in the formal system.
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