Franck Nguema calls for CNAMGS overhaul to guarantee real medical care

Former Youth and Sports Minister Franck Nguema has urged a major reform of the National Health Insurance and Social Guarantee Fund (CNAMGS) during a press briefing held on 8 June 2026 in Akanda. Reacting to debates sparked by the World Health Organization (WHO) 2025 report, he argued that the real challenge is not whether CNAMGS should exist, but whether it can deliver genuine access to quality healthcare. According to him, the WHO report does not label CNAMGS a “fraud” or “scam”, but does highlight the urgent need for system reform.

For the former cabinet member, Gabon has succeeded in building a broad administrative health coverage, with nearly 76% of the population enrolled. However, this progress remains insufficient if beneficiaries still struggle to see a doctor, obtain medication, be hospitalised, or receive care within reasonable timeframes. He believes this gap between declared coverage and actual experience fuels frustration among members and weakens trust in the social protection system.

Towards effective care at CNAMGS

Franck Nguema therefore proposes to supplement the logic of expanding coverage with a “national guarantee of effective medical coverage”. CNAMGS performance should no longer be measured solely by the number of members or cards issued, but also by concrete criteria such as the rate of access to care, medicine availability, processing times, and reduction of out-of-pocket expenses for households.

In his view, this shift would mark a true paradigm change. By placing health outcomes at the heart of its operations, CNAMGS could become a tool for performance and poverty reduction. The former minister therefore calls on authorities to launch an ambitious reform that transforms administrative coverage into genuinely effective medical coverage for all Gabonese people.