Franck Nguema pushes for reform towards effective healthcare at Cnamgs

Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Franck Nguema, called for a comprehensive reform of the National Health Insurance and Social Guarantee Fund (CNAMGS) during a press conference held on June 8, 2026, in Akanda. Reacting to debates sparked by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2025 report, he argued that the real issue is not questioning the existence of CNAMGS, but rather its ability to guarantee insured individuals genuine access to quality care. According to him, the WHO report does not label CNAMGS as a “fraud” or “scam,” but rather highlights the need for urgent system reform.

For the former government official, Gabon has succeeded in establishing a significant administrative health coverage, with nearly 76% of the population enrolled. However, this progress remains insufficient if beneficiaries continue to face difficulties in consulting a doctor, obtaining medication, being hospitalized, or receiving timely care. He believes that this gap between announced coverage and actual experienced coverage fuels frustration among the insured and undermines trust in the social protection system.

For effective care at CNAMGS

Franck Nguema thus proposes complementing the logic of expanding health coverage with a “national guarantee of effective medical coverage.” The performance of CNAMGS should no longer be evaluated solely based on the number of insured individuals or cards issued, but also according to concrete criteria such as the rate of access to care, availability of medicines, treatment delays, or the reduction of out-of-pocket expenses for households.

According to him, this evolution would mark a true paradigm shift. By placing health outcomes at the heart of its action, CNAMGS would become an instrument of performance and poverty reduction. The former minister thus invites authorities to undertake an ambitious reform to transform administrative coverage into truly effective medical coverage, for the benefit of all Gabonese populations.