WHO report reveals Gabon's CNAMGS health insurance fails to provide adequate coverage for citizens
via Gabon Review7 min read
A May 2025 report by the World Health Organization WHO has challenged the effectiveness of Gabon's National Health Insurance and Social Guarantee Fund CNAMGS, stating that despite 76% of the population being officially insured, the system does not guarantee access to comprehensive and quality healthcare. The report, developed in coordination with Gabon's Ministry of Health, indicates that the CNAMGS "does not allow the 76% of the registered population to benefit from quality comprehensive health services in accordance with its initial objective." This means hundreds of thousands of Gabonese citizens hold insurance cards that do not provide effective access to necessary care, often encountering medication shortages, insufficient technical facilities, discouraging reimbursement delays, or non-covered medical procedures. The WHO report also highlights a deeper design flaw, noting that the Gabonese health system is "largely oriented towards specialized curative care," neglecting primary healthcare and prevention. This leads to an overburdened system where resources are depleted without providing the expected protection, especially for non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cancers, which account for nearly 45% of national deaths. The WHO recommends an "urgent reform" of the CNAMGS, focusing on fund pooling, strategic purchasing of health services, and real financial protection for the population. These recommendations are part of a health financing progress ma
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