Franck Nguema, former minister of Youth and Sports, called for a comprehensive overhaul of the National Health Insurance and Social Guarantee Fund (CNAMGS) during a press conference on June 8, 2026, in Akanda. Reacting to the debate sparked by the World Health Organization (WHO) 2025 report, he argued that the core issue is not about questioning CNAMGS’s existence, but about ensuring that beneficiaries actually receive quality care. According to him, the WHO report does not label CNAMGS a “fraud” or a “scam” but rather stresses the urgent need for reform.
For the former government official, Gabon has successfully built extensive administrative health coverage, with nearly 76% of the population enrolled. However, this achievement remains insufficient if members still struggle to consult a doctor, obtain medication, get hospitalised, or receive care within reasonable timeframes. He believes that the gap between stated coverage and actual coverage fuels beneficiary frustration and erodes trust in the social protection system.
For effective care at CNAMGS
Franck Nguema proposes to supplement the logic of expanding health coverage with a “national guarantee of effective medical coverage”. CNAMGS performance should no longer be measured solely by the number of insured people or cards issued, but also by concrete criteria such as the rate of access to care, availability of medicines, care delays, and 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 core of its action, CNAMGS would become a tool for performance and poverty reduction. The former minister thus invites authorities to launch an ambitious reform to transform administrative coverage into truly effective medical coverage for the benefit of all Gabonese citizens.
