Research Snapshot: Can cash transfers help Syrian refugees manage diabetes?

This is the first of two Research Snapshots summarising findings of the research undertaken as part of the R2HC-funded study Multi-Purpose And Conditional Cash-Based Transfers And Public Health Among Syrian Refugees. This snapshot focuses on Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs).

The research undertaken in Jordan investigates the effect of cash assistance and health education on health-seeking behaviour, service utilization, and clinical outcomes for diabetes to inform health sector program design for current and future humanitarian responses. Findings indicate that conditional cash transfers (CCTs) and health education combined may be a helpful intervention, where resources are available.

The increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in refugee populations globally, requires innovative responses from humanitarian health actors to help people with chronic health conditions like diabetes.

Multi-purpose cash transfers (MPCs) are transfers provided in humanitarian settings to help cover a household’s basic and/or recovery needs. Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) require the receiver of the money to comply with certain conditions. This study examined the effects of conditional and unconditional cash transfers and health education on health-seeking behaviour, service utilization, and clinical outcomes among Syrian refugees with type II diabetes in Jordan.

Study findings suggest that conditional cash or a combined cash and health education intervention are promising strategies to support diabetes control among refugees; but that MPC alone is insufficient to achieve improvements in the health of refugees with diabetes.

This snapshot contains key messages, findings, implications for humanitarian policymakers and practitioners and recommendations for further research.