Exploring trust in religious leaders and institutions as a mechanism for improving retention in child malnutrition interventions in the Philippines: a retrospective cohort study

Introduction

Faith-based organisations (FBOs) play a critical role in delivering healthcare in low resource settings. Compared with public health facilities and providers, programmes and interventions offered by FBOs in some settings may have increased geographical and socioeconomic coverage, greater social and physical capital, and more flexible governance and funding structures. Additionally, many FBOs focus exclusively on serving poor and vulnerable people, addressing limited reach of public health systems. As a result, partnerships between public health institutions and FBOs are increasingly being viewed as an important strategy for improving healthcare access and health outcomes in low-and-middle income countries.

Despite the critical role that FBOs play in delivering healthcare in low resource settings, the capabilities and assets of some FBOs have been underused and underexplored. This underutilisation may be influenced by concerns that the religious underpinnings of FBOs contradict human rights and associated health outcomes, such as in the case of sexual and reproductive health or vaccination campaigns. Challenges also exist with the alignment of health priorities between FBOs and national health systems, inconsistent funding and governance of local FBOs, and their limited capacity to adapt to changing health systems. Additionally, there are gaps in evidence with regard to the quantity and distribution of FBOs, the quality of care provided by these organisations, and the factors that contribute to the success of programmes and interventions led by FBOs.