Ouagadougou: The Director General of the National Universal Health Insurance Fund (CNAMU), Olivier Constantin Sanon, announced on Tuesday the participation of nearly 1,000 insured individuals in the pilot phase of the universal health insurance scheme implemented in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso. This development is part of the initiative to provide health coverage to nearly 31,000 contributors.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Director General highlighted that feedback on the pilot phase has generally been positive, mainly due to reduced healthcare costs. However, challenges such as incomplete healthcare forms, referrals to non-contracted facilities, and the gradual activation of insured cards remain. The CNAMU reported that, as of April 30, 2026, 388,803 individuals had been registered since the registration process began.
The health insurance system currently involves 431 affiliated organizations, comprising 215 public and 216 private entities. The largest registered groups include 231,322 dependent family members and 119,639 public sector employees. To facilitate care, 3,102 providers have been contracted, including 290 pharmacies, 2,504 public healthcare facilities, and 13 laboratories.
The CNAMU also recorded 1,375 medical contacts and 482 healthcare services since the pilot phase's inception. The Director General assured that benefits would be progressively extended to all registered individuals from the second half of the year. Despite the progress, issues such as the use of non-contracted facilities, poor control of the care pathway, insufficient beneficiary information, and incomplete implementation of the SIGRAMU system persist.
To expedite the implementation of the RAMU (Universal Health Coverage Scheme), the CNAMU plans to enhance healthcare services, further digitize procedures, intensify communication, and gradually extend benefits to retirees and informal sector workers. The SIGRAMU pilot phase is set to be deployed in university hospitals and private facilities in Kadiogo and Guiriko by June 2026.
The commitment of Burkinabe authorities to the universal health insurance scheme was praised by the Director General of CNAMU, who sees it as a significant means to ensure equitable healthcare access and reduce household health expenditure. The Minister of Servants of the People, presiding over the proceedings, emphasized that the RAMU is a "national priority" aiming to guarantee equitable healthcare access and strengthen social protection.
He further stated that this public policy aligns with the vision of President of Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traore, to create an endogenous and solidarity-based response to healthcare access difficulties. The workshop aims to evaluate the pilot phase outcomes, identify shortcomings, and formulate recommendations for service improvement and expansion.