Workshop on the operationalization of the public health law in the DRC: A crucial step towards better health coverage
From September 29 to 30, 2023, the Ministry of Health, Hygiene Prevention of the Democratic Republic of Congo organized a workshop of great importance. This event aimed to discuss the operationalization of Law No. 18/035 of December 13, 2018, which sets the fundamental principles relating to the organization of Public Health and which was recently modified and supplemented by the Ordinance -Law n°23/006 of March 3, 2023.
These legal texts constitute the foundation of the Universal Health Coverage system and the implementation of the International Health Regulations in the DRC. The workshop allowed senior officials, lawyers from the Ministry of Health and health sector experts to discuss the legal needs necessary to implement these laws, sensitize participants on the importance of taking enforcement measures taking into account the link between universal health coverage and health security, and to identify the services involved in the implementation of these measures.
In his speech, the Minister of Health, Hygiene and Prevention stressed that the integration of the principles of Universal Health Coverage into the law constitutes a major step forward for the health system in the DRC. He affirmed that the process of implementing Universal Health Coverage, one of the main priorities of Head of State Felix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, is now irreversible.
During the workshop, the experts, including the directors and heads of services of the directorates and programs of the Ministry of Health, Hygiene and Prevention, developed a roadmap for the drafting and adoption of implementation measures of the law. This process will involve the creation of a technical commission responsible for overseeing the implementation of this roadmap.
The organization of this workshop and the planning of next steps demonstrate the Congolese government’s commitment to strengthening and improving the country’s health system. The operationalization of the public health law will increase access to health services for all citizens of the DRC, thus contributing to the overall improvement of the well-being of the population.
In short, this workshop marks an important step in the process of implementing Universal Health Coverage in the DRC. It demonstrates the government’s desire to guarantee all citizens equitable access to quality health services. The operationalization of the public health law is the starting point for a real transformation of the health system in the DRC, and paves the way for significant progress in the fight against diseases and the improvement of the health of the population. population.