Workshop on operationalizing the Public Health law: towards Universal Health Coverage in the DRC
From September 29 to 30, 2023, the Ministry of Health, Hygiene and Prevention organized a crucial workshop for the operationalization of Law No. 18/035 of December 13, 2018 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This law sets the fundamental principles relating to the organization of Public Health and aims to establish a system of Universal Health Coverage in the country.
The aim of this workshop was to identify the legal needs for the implementation of this law, to raise participants’ awareness of the importance of taking implementation measures in connection with Universal Health Coverage and health security, as well as to identify the services involved in these enforcement measures.
The Minister of Health, Hygiene and Prevention stressed that the implementation of the Universal Health Coverage system in the DRC required the modification of the existing law, leading to the integration of the fundamental principles of this system. He also expressed the irreversibility of the process of implementing Universal Health Coverage, a key promise of the President of the Republic Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo.
The workshop brought together around thirty experts, including directors and heads of departments from the Ministry of Health, Hygiene and Prevention, as well as representatives of public institutions such as the Studies and Planning Directorate, the Epidemiological Surveillance Directorate, the National Institute of Biomedical Research and the National Institute of Health.
During these meetings, a roadmap was established for the drafting and adoption of the implementing measures for Law No. 18/035. This roadmap will be implemented by a technical commission, responsible for accelerating the process of developing and adopting these necessary measures.
The establishment of a Universal Health Coverage system in the DRC is a major step forward in the field of public health. This will ensure access to healthcare for all citizens, regardless of their social status or economic situation. This is an important step towards improving the health of the population and the development of the country.
The drafting and adoption of the implementing measures of Law No. 18/035 are crucial steps in realizing this vision of Universal Health Coverage in the DRC. This ongoing work demonstrates the Congolese government’s commitment to guaranteeing the right to health for all.