Chad’s Medical Assistance Scheme aims to reach 45,000 people in three districts, in three months. It underscores Chad’s commitment to equitable access to health care and universal health coverage, especially for disadvantaged populations. The P4H Network had a part in this milestone.
The launch of Chad’s Medical Assistance Scheme (AMED) represents a crucial step in Chad’s implementation of a law advancing universal health coverage (UHC) enacted in 2019, Law No. 65/PR/2019, and targeting the most economically vulnerable.
A launch ceremony for AMED took place on 28 February 2025 in the capital city of N’Djamena, with backing from the head of state, who was represented by the minister secretary general of the presidency of the republic.
The ceremony also marked the five years of continued engagement with the P4H Network and its P4H country focal person, Saibou Seynou, contracted by BACKUP Health, a programme of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
- The director general of the Caisse nationale d’assurance santé (National Health Insurance Institution) (CNAS) opened the proceedings, emphasizing the importance of AMED in addressing health care inequalities.
- A representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), the lead development partner in health, offered encouraging remarks. WHO commended the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to improve health outcomes for the population and applauded the Chadian government’s leadership in launching AMED.
- The minister of health of Chad reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to health care for all Chadians. He underscored that the launch of AMED promises solidarity and renewed hope for Chad’s most vulnerable citizens. The minister highlighted the health insurance card to be issued to beneficiaries will serve as a passport to access health care services.
- During the ceremony, the first beneficiary of AMED was enrolled, with the minister secretary general of the presidency of the republic presenting the first health insurance card, to the applause of the attendees.
Details on how to target the people eligible under AMED and the innovative digital tools used for the enrolment and registration of beneficiaries were presented by CNAS’s staff. Various performers enhanced information about the scheme and the event’s celebratory air.
Law No. 65/PR/2019: implementation, challenges, beneficiaries
Law No. 65/PR/2019 established three schemes advancing UHC. In 2023 CNAS adopted a deployment and development plan for these schemes, paving the way for a phased rollout of UHC.
In line with the goal of phasing in coverage and the intention stated in the five-year deployment and development plan to prioritize those in greatest need, Chad decided to initiate AMED in three health districts: Abéché, Bongor and Danamadji. A comprehensive field survey was conducted to identify economically disadvantaged individuals, and a list of future beneficiaries was compiled using the proxy means testing method. This list was subsequently validated by local communities to ensure transparency and accuracy.
AMED’s ambitious timeline has been set according to Chad’s UHC law and regulations: 45,000 individuals, representing 5% of the population in the targeted areas, will be eligible to gain access to health care services under AMED within three months.
