What contribution do co-operatives make to global healthcare?

Cooperatives may be organized to provide just about any good or service such as:

• Business services
• Childcare
• Credit and personal financial services
• Employment
• Electricity, telephone, Internet, satellite, and cable TV services
• Food and food services
• Funeral and memorial service planning
• Health care
• Health Insurance and other insurance
• Housing
• Legal and professional services
• Marketing of agricultural and other products

Did you know

• 81 million people worldwide make use of the health services provided by the 4961 co-operatives in 43 countries

Did you know

In  the health and social care sector, there are 20 co-operatives with a turnover of over 100 million US dollars distributed in 7 countries, with a total turnover of 35.18 billion US dollars. (Source: http://monitor.coop/sites/default/files/WCM_2015%20WEB.pdf).

Did you know

• In 12 European countries there are co-operatives in pharmacy sector (   Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, UK )
• German pharmaceutical co-operative NOWEDA is one of the 150 largest companies in the country
• In the Belgian pharmacy sector co-operatives represent abou20% of the Belgian pharmaceutical product market, they have a turnover of 600 million Euro and employ 3 500 people.
• In Spain, the network of operatives comprising the Espriu Foundation is responsible for the running of a number of publicly owned hospitals

Did you know

• Health and care co-operatives are prominent in Japan.
• There are117 of co-operatives in which involve: 81 hospitals, 351 medical clinics, 55 dental clinics, 227 nursing stations, that provide home care, 375 home-care support centres, 297 facilities provide day-care services to adults.
• The health and care co-operatives in Japan have total sales of 280 billionYen  (2,503 billion USD)  and employ more than 28,000individuals full time.
• Further, they may expand into further service areas such as athletic facilities and housing

Did you know

In Spain “integral health co-operation” system - Espriu Foundation is created by:

• a consumer co-operative, in the province of Barcelona, which owns a hospital and has 170,000 members.
• a worker co-operative of 5,000 doctors, also in the province of Barcelona, which operates health facilities and owns a health insurance company.
• the co-operative of 20,000 doctors, which owns an insurance company and operates country- widest network of non-public hospitals and clinics throughout Spain.

Map of health and social care cooperatives worldwide

(https://ihco.coop/2015/02/03/map-of-health-and-social-care-cooperatives-worldwide/ )