Date: Wednesday October 30th, 2024
Time: 3:00pm -4:00pm
Venue: Zoom, Online (Register now)

Background

Health insurance is a form of financial protection that is effective in the event of an unexpected illness, as it allows healthcare users to access quality health services when and wherever they need it with minimal financial setbacks. In a population of over 25 million, in Cameroon, only 6.46% of Cameroonians had a form of social health protection [1] leaving nonsubscribers to spend exponentially in order to access healthcare services. Cameroon, alongside other nations are working towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) [2] as per the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. Committed to achieve this, the Cameroonian government launched the Phase I of UHC in April 2023, effective in 5 of the 10 regions with the package for pregnant women and children expanded to the South West and North West region of Cameroon. With the numerous private health insurance companies in the country subscription rate remain low. This highlights the need for effective health insurance systems to facilitate broader access to healthcare services.

Objectives

The overall objective is to highlight the role health insurance plays in facilitating and enabling access to quality, and timely healthcare services whenever needed.

More specifically:

• Discuss the Current State of Health Insurance: Analyze the existing health insurance landscape in Cameroon, including challenges and opportunities.
• Highlight Successful Models: Present successful health insurance models from other countries African countries that could be adapted to the Cameroonian context.
• Identify Barriers to Access: Examine barriers that prevent citizens from enrolling in health insurance programs and accessing UHC.

Expected Outcomes

The expected outputs are:

• Increased awareness of the importance of health insurance in achieving UHC in Cameroon.
• Identification of actionable strategies to enhance health insurance coverage.
• Strengthened collaboration among stakeholders to address barriers to access.
• Development of a roadmap for future initiatives aimed at improving health financing mechanisms.

Targeted Audience

This webinar is intended for the health insurance providers, policymakers, government officials, public health professionals, public health researchers, health economists, community leaders, health advocates, and the general public

Venue

This webinar will take place on Zoom platform and will be aired on Facebook live.

Proposed Panelists/Moderator

1. Noudji Simon, MD, MPH, Head of Communication, marketing and promotion, UHC
2. Item Gustave, Branch Manager AXA Assurance
3. Mildred Njamnsi, Resource Mobiliser North West Special Fund for Health

 Moderator:

Dr Odette Kibu, Senior Policy Analyst Nkafu Policy Institute