To boost universal access to healthcare: Nkafu Policy Institute advocates inclusive private health insurance.

After two previous sessions, members of the working group held their first stakeholder meeting April 3 in Yaounde. 

The meeting, which brought together various stakeholders, served as a platform to engage key actors in the health and insurance sectors, fostering dialogue and collaboration towards inclusive and accessible health insurance solutions.

During the group discussions, it was revealed that Cameroon faces significant challenges in achieving universal access to healthcare without financial hardship, with about 70% of the population relying on out-of-pocket payments, often leading to catastrophic health expenditures.

It was also revealed that only 9% of Cameroonians, according Afrobarometer survey round 10 (2024-2025), benefit from a medical aid coverage with only about 3% having a private health insurance scheme.

Experts, during the meeting, revealed that private health insurance could bridge the gap, but affordability and accessibility remain key barriers, especially for low-income groups.

Going by Health Policy Analyst at Nkafu Policy Institute, Dr Jessy Goupeyou Youmsi, though Universal Health Coverage is being implemented by government, the private health insurance has an essential role of complementing the efforts deployed by government. 

“It also has to be tailored to suit the community, because we were looking at the sustainability aspect. One of the challenges is funding, be it from the Ministry of Public Health or private health insurance,” she indicated. 

“For more sustainability, we noticed that paying private health insurance service providers is not the problem, but the companies have to be transparent and accountable enough so that people are motivated to pay or subscribe,” Dr Goupeyou further said.

She, however, emphasised that communities must be at the centre of both public of private health insurance as end users of the health insurance.

With an average annual premium cost for private health insurance in Cameroon estimated at 155,000 FCFA per adult, projections have also shown that private health insurance market volume in the country will increase to about 143.10m USD by 2029.
On his part, the Deputy Director of the Health Policy and Research Division at

Nkafu Policy Institute, Dr Constantine Asahngwa, explained that the Nkafu Policy Institute has as mission to catalyse Africa’s development with public health as one of the key areas.

“Cameroon has a population that is largely poor and people have difficulties accessing healthcare, so Nkafu Policy Institute was interested in focusing on health insurance. We think that if people have health insurance, it will provide health coverage for the population and enhance their access to quality health services just like the rich,” he explained. 

He further mentioned that: “The logic behind health insurance is that the rich pay for the poor who are enrolled in the same pool. People don’t get sick all the time, but somebody who doesn’t have but contributes, could benefit from the contribution of somebody who is rich and is not sick”. 

It should be noted that the works of this working group are part a project implemented by Nkafu Policy Institute, called “Expanding Private Health Insurance in Cameroon”. The project is funded by the Atlas Network.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3417 of Friday April 11, 2025