Stakeholder Meeting and Media Briefing: Advancing Inclusive Health Insurance for the underserved

Project: Expanding Private Health Insurance in Cameroon
Theme: “Advancing Inclusive Health Insurance for the underserved”
Date: Thursday 3^rd April 2025
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Venue: Mansel Hotel, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Background

Cameroon faces significant challenges in making health care services available and accessible to all without financial hardship, one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages). Despite efforts made by the government in financing access to healthcare, a significant portion of the population (66.92%) [1], still rely on out-of-pocket payments for health services, often leading to financial catastrophes during times of sickness.

Private health insurance has the potential to bridge the healthcare gap in Cameroon, offering financial protection to subscribers and preventing catastrophic health expenditures. However, health insurance is often perceived as unaffordable and inaccessible especially for the poor – the average income for about 23% of the population is only $2.15 per person per day [2] – leading to low coverage. Developing strategies to reduce barriers to accessing health insurance is thus a critical step in the national dynamic towards Universal Health Coverage (target 8 of SDG 3).

Within the framework of the project “Expanding Private Health Insurance in Cameroon” funded by Atlas Network, the Nkafu Policy Institute has established the Cameroon Health Insurance Working Group (CHIWG), gathering experts from the insurance market, civil society, Ministry of Public health, as well as researchers and medical practitioners to discuss strategies to increase access to health insurance by ensuring availability of inclusive offers targeting the underprivileged. The aim of this stakeholder meeting and media briefing, is to share recommendations from the Cameroon health Insurance Working Group and discuss practical steps to move from strategy to action.

General objective

To present the recommendations of the Cameroon Health Insurance Working Group and facilitate discussions on actionable steps for implementing inclusive health insurance solutions.

Specific objectives

• To share key findings and recommendations from the Cameroon Health Insurance Working Group with stakeholders and the media.
• To engage stakeholders in discussions on practical strategies for transitioning from policy recommendations to implementation.
• To strengthen collaboration and commitment among policymakers, insurers, and development partners to advance inclusive health insurance solutions.

Expected Outputs

The expected outputs are:

• Increased awareness among stakeholders about the key recommendations of the Cameroon Health Insurance Working Group and their implications for improving inclusive health insurance.
• A documented summary of stakeholder discussions and proposed action steps for implementing inclusive health insurance solutions.
• Commitments and strengthened collaboration established among policymakers, insurers, and Ministry of Public Health to advance implementation efforts.

Targeted Audience

This event is intended for policy makers, insurance providers, government officials, public health professionals, civil society organizations, healthcare users and media bodies.

Venue

The event will take place onsite at Mansel Hotel (Yaoundé).