It is only three months ago, that Achmea (Dutch operating company of the Eureko Group) and HealthNet announced their four-year partnership to improve access to healthcare for some of the world's most vulnerable populations. The cooperation started off in Rumania, but is now expanding to African countries, where continuous fighting has prevented establishing any kind of sustainable health care. Achmea is not delivering insurances, but helps to figure out a health system that is accessible for poor people. Willem van de Put: "We need a comprehensive system to give these women some perspectives. Such a system involves micro-credits, affordable medical care and mental health care. What we do is organize these women in support groups, and install a collective guarantee-fund. We have the budget, and the programmes, but we need the expertise of Achmea to work out the details." Van de Put is very enthusiastic about the partnership with the Dutch insurance company. Not only because it saves him a lot of consultancy fees, but also because he believes in a business-like approach. "It is simply not true that people do not want to pay for health care. These women are poor, and know that they can only expect value when they contribute. Even a small amount of money gives them a right to be critical of what we offer." But there is also a third, quite unexpected, reason for joy. Van de Put: "Much to my surprise, funding by donors such as the Dutch government or the World Bank is much smoother, now that we have a partnership with the private sector." P+ Webtip: HealthNet International