Date: June 25, 2026
Time: 11:30pm – 01:30pm
Venue: COFE Hotel, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Background

Healthcare workers are professionals who “advise on or apply preventive and curative measures, and promote health with the ultimate goal of meeting the health needs and expectations of individuals and populations, and improving population health outcomes” [1]. They are at the frontline of care and constitute the backbone of every strong and resilient health system.

Healthcare professionals are often perceived as fully capable of managing their own health; however, recent pandemics and rising workplace violence challenge this assumption [2]. Health workers often operate in environments where they are continuously exposed to infections and hazards risk, facing significant occupational stress, particularly in low-resource settings where protective measures and support systems are largely limited. In many African countries like Cameroon, health workers experience very deplorable working conditions. These include low salaries, no formal health insurance protection for them and their families etc.  adding a layer of challenge [3].

Despite these challenges, particularly financial constraints, health financial protection initiatives including Private Health Insurance (PHI) rarely include schemes specifically tailored to the unique needs and circumstances of health workers, leaving them vulnerable within broader coverage efforts. Under Cameroon’s Labour Code, employers are legally required to provide certain benefits to their staff such as occupational injury coverage through the National Social Insurance Fund (NSIF) but these provisions do not necessarily extend to comprehensive health insurance tailored to the broader needs of health workers [4].

These factors raise critical concerns about their ability to access adequate healthcare services, making it essential to examine whether current health insurance and coverage initiatives sufficiently address their specific needs and vulnerabilities. Ensuring the health and well-being of healthcare workers is crucial, as it enhances the quality of care and contribute to the health system resilience necessary to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC) [2].

The aim of this Operational Working Group is to validate and refine the recommendations of the policy brief “Access to Health Insurance Coverage for Health Workers in Cameroon” and propose a clear and actionable roadmap for implementation.

Objectives

• To review and critically discuss the key recommendations of the
• To assess the feasibility, relevance, and institutional implications of the proposed recommendations within Cameroon’s health financing and labor policy context.
• To develop a clear and actionable roadmap outlining priority actions, responsible stakeholders, and implementation pathways to improve health insurance coverage for healthcare workers.

Expected Outputs

The expected outputs are:

• A validated and refined set of priority recommendations to strengthen health insurance coverage for healthcare workers.
• A consensus on key policy and institutional actions required to address coverage gaps and barriers.
• A structured implementation roadmap, identifying priority actions, lead institutions, and coordination mechanisms.

Target Participants

This OWG will gather policy makers (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor and Social Security), insurance providers, Health workers, health economists and health policy experts, public health professionals and CSO.

Venue & Date

This OWG will take place onsite on June 25, 2026, at COFE Hotel (Yaoundé) from 12:00pm to 2:00pm.

About the Organizers

• About the Denis And Lenora Foretia Foundation

The Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation was established to accelerate Africa’s economic transformation by focusing on social entrepreneurship, science and technology, innovation, public health and progressive policies that create economic opportunities for all. The foundation works in partnership with local governments, policy makers, private enterprises, civil society organizations as well as development partners to expand the resources available to entrepreneurs, farmers, and small business owners in addition to improving individual livelihoods.

• About the Nkafu Policy Institute

The Nkafu Policy Institute is an African think tank with a mission to provide independent, in-depth and insightful policy recommendations that allows all Africans to prosper in free, fair, democratic and sustainable economies. The Institute is made up of analysts, experts and researchers from all over the world, working on a wide range of topics, including governance and democracy, health and education, peace and security, science and technology, and economic policy.