Abidjan since Tuesday, May 20, 2025, a major event in the field of social protection. This is a subregional seminar organized jointly by the International Labour Office (ILO) and the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), around the role of mutual insurance companies in national health systems

Planned over three days, the high-level meeting to be held in Ivotel, in the town of Plateau, marks a decisive step in the dynamic of harmonizing social policies in the West African community space. The Minister of Employment and Social Protection Me Adama Kamara officially opened the work, in the presence of numerous delegations from UEMOA member states. The objective of this subregional meeting is clear: to promote better integration of social mutual insurance companies, especially community-based ones, into national health social protection systems. The participants are examining how to delegate certain functions to these mutualist structures and to strengthen their role in extending health coverage, especially in areas with poor access to care. This seminar also aims to ensure that Member States take ownership of the joint recommendations of the BIT and the CCMS. This work contributes to strategic decision-making concerning the reform of health systems and the architecture of coverage mechanisms in the various countries of the Union

This seminar is being held in a context where the question of the universalization of social protection is more topical than ever. The global health crisis caused by Covid-19 has highlighted the shortcomings of many health systems in West Africa. It has also reinforced the need to build resilient mechanisms capable of protecting populations, including the most vulnerable, in the face of health and socio-economic shocks