Established by Law No. 12-2015 on August 31, 2015, the Universal Health Insurance Fund (CAMU) is the body responsible for managing the health insurance system in the Republic of Congo. Its primary purpose is to support policyholders throughout their lives by providing care regardless of their categories, resources, or situations.
CAMU's establishment primarily aims to ensure universal access to healthcare without exceptions or financial constraints. While managing contributors and policyholders, including registration, affiliation, declaration, control of contributors, and fee collections, represents CAMU's upstream operations, downstream involves managing healthcare providers through conventions with healthcare facilities, control, and payment for services rendered.
Under the oversight of the Ministry of Public Service, Labor, and Social Security, CAMU is a government project aligning with the action plan of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Denis SASSOU N’GUESSO, who aims to guarantee healthcare coverage for all Congolese citizens.
The signing of a service contract for CAMU's digitalization between the Ministry of Public Service, Labor, and Social Security and the YAO CORP Group on January 6, 2022, in Brazzaville laid the groundwork for implementing this ambitious healthcare insurance program. As a financial and technical partner, YAO CORP took charge of the technical realization and provided the necessary funding for CAMU's initial activities. The financial holding company, a development partner in Africa, invests across various sectors and, through its subsidiary AKIENI, offers digitalization services to both public and private entities.
Another significant step in executing this nationwide project occurred on Friday, November 24, 2023, in Brazzaville, with the official launch by the Prime Minister, head of government, Mr. Anatole Collinet MAKOSSO, of the pilot phase for biometric enrollment of CAMU policyholders. "By initiating this operation, I intend to steer the government's actions in line with the President's objective, aiming to make the universal health insurance system the backbone of the 2023 social security agenda in our country," he explained, urging the population to enroll massively.
This initial enrollment phase targets 110,000 individuals (retirees, taxi and bus drivers, employees of companies, and civil servants) starting in Brazzaville and gradually expanding nationwide, including Pointe-Noire and Oyo. It aims to create biometric databases containing personal data of enrolled individuals. Once the enrollment process is complete, these policyholders will access healthcare after three months, upon receiving their health card and settling their social contributions.
AKIENI, a subsidiary of the YAO Corp Group specializing in digital transformation of government services and national digital infrastructure development, supported the Congolese government in deploying healthcare system solutions incorporating biometrics.
AKIENI addressed CAMU's key concerns by implementing software capable of encompassing all social strata and ensuring the regulation and management of the healthcare journey. "We take pride in the work accomplished. From administrative and financial management rules to business processes, our teams have been professional and reliable, thanks to a perfect mastery of the delivered solution," stated AKIENI's Managing Director, Frédéric NZE. "At AKIENI, we strive to enhance digital service culture, and I must say this project embodies our principles. Every stage has been exciting, from pre-enrollment to biometric enrollment, along with the healthcare journey allowing direct communication with selected hospitals and pharmacies, not forgetting CAMU enrollers' training," he added.
This turnkey project, equipped with 50 enrollment stations, will contribute to ensuring universal and solidarity-based medical coverage for the entire Congolese population, particularly the most vulnerable groups.