Revisiting Access to Health Insurance Services for Persons with Disabilities

Date: June 10, 2026,
Time: 3:00–4:00 PM (GMT+1)
Venue: Zoom Online (Register now)

Background & Rationale

Access to healthcare is a fundamental right, yet persons with disabilities (PWD) in Cameroon face persistent barriers: affordability constraints, limited availability of specialized services, physical and communication barriers, and social stigma. These constraints increase the risk of unmet health needs and catastrophic expenditure. While ongoing UHC?related reforms provide essential coverage for some priority groups, PWD frequently remain under?served in insurance design and enrolment.

This webinar will examine how to better integrate PWD into health insurance and social protection mechanisms. It will explore financing options for rehabilitation and assistive technologies, disability?responsive benefits packages, adapted enrolment pathways, and service delivery arrangements that improve access and continuity of care. The session seeks to move from advocacy to actionable design choices and implementation steps.

Objectives

General Objective: Identify practical ways to expand and sustain PWD inclusion in health insurance and related social protection programs.

Specific Objectives:

• Map key barriers for PWD across enrolment, premium payment, service access, and claims.
• Assess current inclusion within UHC rollout and complementary schemes (e.g., vouchers, means?tested subsidies).
• Prioritize financing strategies to reduce out?of?pocket spending for rehabilitation and assistive products.
• Define programmatic steps and partnerships to scale disability?inclusive coverage in the near term.

Guiding Questions

• Which eligibility, documentation, or enrolment requirements unintentionally exclude PWD?
• What benefit designs and provider payment mechanisms can better cover rehabilitation and assistive technologies?
• How can data systems capture disability status ethically to inform purchasing without discrimination?
• What roles should ministries, OPDs, insurers and development partners play in scaling inclusion?

Expected Outputs

• A priority barriers?solutions matrix for PWD inclusion in insurance schemes.
• Policy brief with short?term (6–12 months) and medium?term (12–24 months) actions.
• Advocacy pack for OPDs and civil society with key messages and evidence highlights.
• Stakeholder list and engagement plan for piloting inclusive purchasing arrangements.

Target Audience

• Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Labour/Social Security.
• Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), rehabilitation providers, hospital managers.
• Private insurers, micro?insurance providers, community?based schemes.
• Researchers, disability advocates, development partners.

About the Organizers

The Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation was established to catalyze 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 with governments, policymakers, private enterprises, civil society organizations and development partners to expand opportunities and improve livelihoods.

The Nkafu Policy Institute is an independent think tank at the Foretia Foundation that provides in?depth, evidence?based policy recommendations to advance inclusive development in Cameroon and across Africa. The Institute convenes experts, conducts rigorous research, and leads policy dialogues across governance, health, economic policy, science and technology.

Contact

Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation / Nkafu Policy Institute
Opposite Collège Jésus?Marie – Simbock, P.O. Box 14315, Yaoundé, Cameroon
Tel: (+237) 22 31 15 84 / 654 86 72 54 | Email: [email protected]| Web: www.foretiafoundation.org  |  www.nkafu.org