Madagascar Launches National Health Solidarity Fund

On June 8, 2018, in the eastern Malagasy village of Niarovana Caroline, the President of the Republic Hery Rajaonarimampianina inaugurated the country’s national health insurance scheme Caisse Nationale de Solidarité pour la Santé, or CNSS, by launching registration for local residents. The event was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Public Health, USAID, UN agencies, and implementing partners, including HP+, which was instrumental in developing materials and trainings that local agents will use to register members at the community level. Prior to this launch, HP+ has been working closely with Madagascar’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) support unit, Cellule d’appui pour la mise en oeuvre de la CSU, or CA-CSU, to prepare a presidential round table, facilitate workshops and meetings with ministry leadership and stakeholders to review and validate the UHC roadmap, and provide technical support to design the benefits package for UHC and the health insurance premium for the CNSS. Following the launch of the CNSS, HP+ will continue to support the CA-CSU in its monitoring and evaluation of the pilot district.