At the 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Abdelsalam Hammad Djamouss, deputy director-general of Chad’s National Health Insurance Fund (CNAS), reaffirmed his country’s commitment to universal health coverage (UHC). He stressed Chad’s holistic approach, which favours universality, equity, and solidarity.
Deputy Director-General Djamouss explained that Chad has put in place a national UHC and health financing strategy that is supported by a solid legal and institutional framework. A law establishing protection against financial risk has been promulgated, a health insurance fund is now operational, and innovative sources of financing dedicated to UHC have been identified.
He specified that Chad has allocated domestic resources to operationalize the financial risk protection regime, with particular emphasis on people in vulnerable groups. “Robust actions are underway for an effective start in 2024”, he added, emphasizing the alignment of these efforts with a five-year sustainable development plan for 2024-2028 correlated with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Support from partners: A foundational pillar
The deputy director-general praised the support of partners, in particular the P4H Network, for its “multifaceted support”. He also highlighted persistent challenges, particularly regarding the population’s equitable access to quality care, the health system’s capacity to offer quality primary health care, and the sustainability of financial resources. He also noted the need to put in place an adequate technical system and to coordinate the interventions of development partners so that these interventions align with national priorities.
Call for external funding to help pay medical claims
Despite the progress Chad has made, Deputy Director-General Djamouss mentioned the challenges posed by the “weariness of stakeholders in the face of a long and complex process” and the “hesitation on the part of [development] partners to participate financially in paying for the services”. Faced with this, he launched a strong appeal: “Chad calls for a strong contribution from [development] partners in the financing of UHC, notably through the payment of claims, even if only over a short transitional period”.
Watch the video of Deputy Director-General Djamouss statement
