CNSS Promotes Universal Health Insurance Scheme at Togo 2000 Trade Fair
Friday, 12 December 2025 14:19 
(Togo First) - Togo’s National Social Security Fund (CNSS) is expanding the country’s Universal Health Insurance scheme to cover self-employed workers, a move officials say closes a long-standing gap in coverage.
The CNSS announced the new scheme, known as AMU TNS, during an information session held on Thursday at the Togo 2000 trade fair. The fund is responsible for implementing universal health insurance for the private sector, informal workers, non-salaried employees and clergy.
Universal health insurance was established by law in 2021 as a core responsibility of the state. Two bodies, the National Health Insurance Institute (INAM) and the CNSS, were appointed to manage the system in 2023, with operations beginning in January 2024. Coverage was extended to self-employed workers in October 2025.
The new scheme addresses what CNSS officials described as a widespread misconception that self-employed workers were excluded from the system. “The project has moved from development to implementation, and the feedback has been positive in all the regions we have visited,” a representative of the CNSS director general said.
Tchao Assiou, head of the AMU department at CNSS, cited Article 3 of Togo’s Public Health Code as the legal basis for the state’s obligation to provide health protection. Participation in the scheme is voluntary for self-employed workers without a fixed monthly income. Contributions are set at 10,000 CFA francs per month, 28,500 CFA francs per quarter, 54,000 CFA francs every six months, or 102,000 CFA francs annually. Payments can be made via mobile money, bank card or at CNSS offices.
Following a three-month waiting period after enrolment, coverage applies to the contributor, their spouse and up to four children under the age of 21. Medical expenses are covered at 80% by the CNSS, with the remaining 20% paid by the beneficiary, according to Claire Assima, a medical adviser with the AMU programme at CNSS.
Excluded services include cosmetic procedures, treatment abroad, non-essential comfort items, medicines not listed as essential and care provided by non-approved facilities, unless special authorisation is granted.
The information session also reviewed the history of the CNSS, which was created in 1956 as the Family Benefits Compensation Fund. Lassimalaba Gnitou, director of collections and registration, said the institution now manages seven of the nine branches of social security defined by the International Labour Organization, covering maternity, family benefits, old age, disability, death and occupational risks.
While the promotional campaign for AMU TNS is underway and coverage is set to begin in January 2026, officials said the longer-term objective remains full universal coverage, including vulnerable populations. A key challenge, they added, is safeguarding the scheme against fraud to ensure its sustainability and future expansion.
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