Linking social protection schemes: The joint effects of a public works and a health insurance program in Ethiopia

Abstract

In developing countries and in particular in Sub-Saharan Africa, social protection schemes tend to operate in silos. However, schemes targeting the same geographical areas may have synergies that have not yet been examined. This paper contributes to this knowledge gap by examining the joint impacts of two social protection programmes in Ethiopia: the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) and the Community Based Health Insurance Scheme. Based on three rounds of individual-level panel data and several rounds of qualitative interviews, we find that individuals covered by both programs, as opposed to neither or only one of the two programs, provide more labor supply, have larger livestock holdings and have a lower amount of outstanding loans. Furthermore, joint participation is associated with greater use of modern health care facilities. These results show that the bundling of interventions enhances protection against multiple risks and supports the idea that linking social protection schemes provides more than the sum of the individual effects.