International Labour Organization Supports the Discussion of Social Health Protection in Burundi
ILO supported tripartite partners in Burundi to discuss social health protection coverage for the private sector under the new national social protection policy and financing strategy for universal health coverage.
24 August 2023
Burundi (ILO News) Universal health coverage is meant to secure a population's health, from birth through old age. One of the missions of the ILO is the promotion of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, which aims to achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. The ILO Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202) recognizes essential health care as a necessary component of social protection floors and reaffirms the human right to social security. While the COVID-19 crisis has demonstrated the need to invest in public health services, the right to social health protection is not yet a universal reality. Although 60% of the world's population has access to social health protection, there are major disparities between countries and regions, with less than 10% of the population legally covered in low-income countries.
For many years, the absence of a health financing strategy in Burundi has been one of the major challenges facing the implementation of the National Social Protection Policy. More recently, Burundi has embarked upon an ambitious reform of its health financing system. The options proposed in both the National Social Protection Policy and the draft Strategy for Financing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) enable progress to be made towards achieving the principles set out in Recommendation 202. Aligning and merging several fragmented schemes will enable more efficient management and move towards universal coverage. The strategy identifies various financing mechanisms that will enable everyone to contribute according to their means, thus guaranteeing equity and sustainable financing of social health protection. Although this reform will have to be carried out in stages, and will require additional efforts, this process should recognize the crucial role of social dialogue and the involvement of all stakeholders.
The Burundi Employers’ Association (AEB), the Confederation of Burundi Trade Unions (COSYBU), in collaboration with the Ministry of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, held a tripartite dialogue on 22 August 2023 in Bujumbura focusing on challenges and opportunities for the management of the basic health insurance for the private sector under the different options proposed in the Financing Strategy for UHC. In-order to achieve this objective, discussions were focused on three topics: (1) main current challenges in the management of the basic health insurance for the private sector in Burundi; (2) the principles and international standards governing social health protection; as well as (3) the strategic options proposed by the National Social Protection Policy and the Financing Strategy to achieve Universal Healthcare Coverage.
The participants represented employers’ and workers from different sectors, line ministries social security bodies, social protection coordination authority, commercial insurance coordination authority and the WHO. This workshop was organized under the Multi-donor Programme to the Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All, which is funded by the Governments of Belgium and Luxembourg. Two countries that attach great importance to the value of social dialogue in the development and implementation of socio-economic policies and programs. It resulted from the discussions the commitment of Government through the Ministry in charge of social affairs to Fastrack the amendment process of the Ministerial Ordinance liberalizing the management of basic health insurance in private sector in Burundi. The new regulation will materialize the option agreed on with social partners which will consist of entrusting the management of this scheme to the Health Insurance for Private Sector created by social partners. This was also confirmed by national social protection policy and the financing strategy of the UHC under finalization as one of steps towards progressive achievement of UHC in Burundi.
For many years, the absence of a health financing strategy in Burundi has been one of the major challenges facing the implementation of the National Social Protection Policy. More recently, Burundi has embarked upon an ambitious reform of its health financing system. The options proposed in both the National Social Protection Policy and the draft Strategy for Financing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) enable progress to be made towards achieving the principles set out in Recommendation 202. Aligning and merging several fragmented schemes will enable more efficient management and move towards universal coverage. The strategy identifies various financing mechanisms that will enable everyone to contribute according to their means, thus guaranteeing equity and sustainable financing of social health protection. Although this reform will have to be carried out in stages, and will require additional efforts, this process should recognize the crucial role of social dialogue and the involvement of all stakeholders.
The Burundi Employers’ Association (AEB), the Confederation of Burundi Trade Unions (COSYBU), in collaboration with the Ministry of National Solidarity, Social Affairs, Human Rights and Gender, held a tripartite dialogue on 22 August 2023 in Bujumbura focusing on challenges and opportunities for the management of the basic health insurance for the private sector under the different options proposed in the Financing Strategy for UHC. In-order to achieve this objective, discussions were focused on three topics: (1) main current challenges in the management of the basic health insurance for the private sector in Burundi; (2) the principles and international standards governing social health protection; as well as (3) the strategic options proposed by the National Social Protection Policy and the Financing Strategy to achieve Universal Healthcare Coverage.
The participants represented employers’ and workers from different sectors, line ministries social security bodies, social protection coordination authority, commercial insurance coordination authority and the WHO. This workshop was organized under the Multi-donor Programme to the Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All, which is funded by the Governments of Belgium and Luxembourg. Two countries that attach great importance to the value of social dialogue in the development and implementation of socio-economic policies and programs. It resulted from the discussions the commitment of Government through the Ministry in charge of social affairs to Fastrack the amendment process of the Ministerial Ordinance liberalizing the management of basic health insurance in private sector in Burundi. The new regulation will materialize the option agreed on with social partners which will consist of entrusting the management of this scheme to the Health Insurance for Private Sector created by social partners. This was also confirmed by national social protection policy and the financing strategy of the UHC under finalization as one of steps towards progressive achievement of UHC in Burundi.