Togo: satisfactory assessment of the Wezou program at the end of 2022

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Extract from the article: The government launched Wezou 18 months ago, in August 2021. A national program whose ambition is to better support pregnant women and newborns in Togo.

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The government launched Wezou 18 months ago, in August 2021. A national program whose ambition is to better support pregnant women and newborns in Togo.

In December 2022, nearly 290,000 women in total were enrolled, said Wednesday, January 11, 2023, the Minister Delegate in charge of universal access to health care, Mamessilé Aklah Agba-Assih, in a communication to the Council of Ministers. According to the report, 1,316,113 services were provided over the period from August 2021 to December 2022, including 281,796 prenatal consultations and 148,275 deliveries. The overall cost of these interventions amounts to approximately CFAF 2.1 billion, out of the CFAF 3 billion initially allocated to the mechanism.  These satisfactory results, due in particular to the support of the population and the medical profession, were welcomed by the government. For the executive, the objective is now to capitalize on good practices and identify areas for improvement with a view to the generalization of health insurance.

The Wezou program covers part of the costs of care for all pregnant women without exception. This coverage begins in public and accredited first-level health centers (peripheral care units (USP) and prefecture hospitals (CHP)). According to the government's roadmap, Wezou aims to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates, in line with the ambition to strengthen social inclusion and modernize the state.

Elom AKAKPO