Résumé (anglais)

In many African countries a considerable proportion of the population faces problems of financial access to essential health care services.  This holds especially true for the informal sector and people living in rural areas. 

In order to enhance healthcare coverage and provide financial protection against impoverishment due to the costs of catastrophic illness, the Government of Rwanda has implemented several financing mechanisms. Apart from social health insurance schemes covering employees in the formal public and private sectors, a community based health insurance was established to improve access and offer financial protection to the majority of the Rwandan population working in the formal economy.  In addition to the Community Based Health Insurance Policy, the present policy has been elaborated to provide a comprehensive guiding framework for a National Health Insurance system in Rwanda.