Togo extends health insurance to self-employed workers

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Extract from the article: The Minister of Health, Public Hygiene, Universal Health Coverage, and Insurance, Jean-Marie Koffi Ewonoulé Tessi, officially launched the Universal Health Insurance for Self-Employed Workers (AMU-TNS) on Thursday, October 23, 2025, in Lomé. Supp....

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The Minister of Health, Public Hygiene, Universal Health Coverage, and Insurance, Jean-Marie Koffi Ewonoulé Tessi, officially launched the Universal Health Insurance for Self-Employed Workers (AMU-TNS) on Thursday, October 23, 2025, in Lomé. Supported by the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), this major reform aims to extend health coverage to workers in the informal sector, such as traders, artisans, and farmers. The initiative, which is part of the vision to build a more just and resilient country, marks a new era for equitable access to healthcare in Togo.

This launch represents a historic step in its inclusive social protection policy. The system is based on the principles of solidarity, risk pooling, and affordability. It reflects the government's determination to reduce inequalities in access to healthcare and to enhance the dignity of workers in the informal sector.

An instrument of social justice

The AMU-TNS is seen as an instrument of social justice adapted to the realities of self-employed workers. “It is a concrete response to a reality that has been ignored for too long: that of millions of Togolese who, despite actively contributing to our economy, remained on the margins of social protection,” said Minister Jean Marie Tessi, welcoming this historic reform, which is the result of multisectoral consultation and political will. 

For Ingrid Awadé, Director General of the National Social Security Fund of Togo (CNSS), the AMU-TNS is the natural outcome of the social security system that Togo has gradually built up since 1956. “Thanks to this innovation, these women and men will no longer be alone when faced with illness. They will no longer be forced to choose between seeking treatment and preserving their income,” she said.

This progress is particularly welcomed by women in the informal sector. “For a long time, women in the markets have been overlooked by social policies. Today, thanks to this reform, they can hope to work and live with greater security and dignity,” said Aflimba Johnson-Comlan Cataria, Executive Director of the association Solidarité pour l'Epanouissement des Femmes Commerçantes du Togo (SEFECTO).

The scheme is supported by modern digital tools to facilitate enrollment, contribution management, and beneficiary tracking. In addition, the reform provides for close collaboration with private insurers to ensure long-term and financially sustainable protection. The AMU-TNS is a right that the nation has a duty to protect and pass on to future generations.

Esther KOLANI

Source: “cnss.tg”