The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has reiterated its determination to extend social protection to all workers in the country. The Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Public Service, Jean-Pierre Lihau, made this announcement on October 6, 2026, in Kinshasa, during the launch of a consultation workshop on the implementation of the mandatory health insurance (AMO) for public agents.
According to Lihau, the government's ambition is to allow every citizen to access healthcare with dignity, as envisioned by the Head of State. He noted that significant progress has been made in implementing the AMO, including transitioning from a non-contributory to a contributory regime for workers governed by the labor code.
Lihau emphasized that the success of this reform requires the involvement of all stakeholders, including workers, who will contribute to the financing of the universal health coverage (CSU). He encouraged public agents to participate in this national solidarity effort, which will enable them to access quality healthcare.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Roger Samuel Kamba, also called on all stakeholders to take ownership of this initiative to build a resilient healthcare system. He acknowledged that reforms can be challenging, but emphasized the need for collective action to achieve this goal.
Dr. Kamba highlighted that the AMO will enable the private sector to improve solidarity and provide quality healthcare to workers. He also stressed that the Ministry of Public Health is committed to achieving this objective, as outlined in the government's program led by Prime Minister Judith Suminwa.
The Director-General of the Health Solidarity Fund (FSS), Dr. Anatole Mangala, revealed that the workshop aims to inform beneficiaries of the AMO about international orientations on social protection and universal health coverage. The workshop, scheduled to run from October 6 to 8, 2026, is organized by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service and the FSS.
The implementation of the AMO is expected to cover a new stage, with 2027 marking the beginning of effective healthcare coverage for the population, including through the Health Solidarity Fund for basic services. The government has invited technical and financial partners to support its efforts and align their interventions with this national policy.
Key points
- The DR Congo government aims to extend social protection to all workers through the implementation of the mandatory health insurance (AMO).
- The AMO will enable workers to access quality healthcare and contribute to the financing of the universal health coverage (CSU).
- The government has set a target of 2027 to start providing effective healthcare coverage to the population through the Health Solidarity Fund.
