On February 28, 2024, the Permanent Secretariat of Non-Governmental Organizations (SPONG), with the support of UNICEF, held a meeting to inform, raise awareness, mobilize and engage parliamentarians in the operationalization of universal health insurance in Burkina Faso.
Law 60/2015 CNT of 05/09/2015 on universal health insurance in Burkina Faso is struggling to come into force 9 years later. A total of six decrees are needed to implement the law. Of the six decrees, 5 have already been adopted. To ensure that the process was not put on hold, civil society organizations organized a meeting with members of the Transitional Legislative Assembly (TLA), open to technical services and technical and financial partners. Its aim was to present the situation of universal health insurance to members of parliament and ask for their support in ensuring that the final decree, which in a way constitutes the last lock, is adopted as quickly as possible.
“In less than a year, they’ve accelerated things, and the machine is on the move. We’ve been reassured that the latest decree is well on the way. Once this sixth decree has been issued, we will be able to talk about the operationalization of universal health insurance in Burkina Faso.“. Christelle Mavalow Kalhoulé, President of the Board of Directors of the Secrétariat permanent des Organisations non gouvernementales (SPONG).
Marie Angel Tiendrebeogo Kalenzaga, Chairwoman of the ALT Gender, Health, Social Action and Humanitarian Commission, hinted that ALT members were already working with the SPONG to make universal health insurance operational. “We know that the operationalization of universal health insurance is an issue eagerly awaited by our populations, and we have taken this issue head on.”. She also promised that they would play their regalian role of monitoring government action to ensure the effective implementation of universal health insurance in Burkina Faso.
