Technical assistance for the deployment of the mandatory health insurance information system (SIAMO) in Senegal

Supporting the deployment of an information system to improve the management of sickness insurance in Senegal

In Senegal, the Government aims to establish universal health coverage. This initiative involves major issues in terms of coordination and synergy between the various existing schemes, in particular between mandatory health insurance and universal health coverage.

With financing from the Sahel Health Solidarity Initiative (I3S) managed by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) on behalf of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, this project aims to assist the Institution for the Coordination of Mandatory Health Insurance (ICAMO) of Senegal with the operational management of a pilot experiment for the deployment of the mandatory health insurance information system (SIAMO) in about a dozen health insurance institutions. This project follows on from the support provided to the Senegalese Ministry of Labour, Social Dialogue, Professional Organisations and Relations with Institutions by French public operators.

This project set up residential technical assistance at ICAMO on 16 November 2020. It will be strengthened by ad hoc expertise.

Information systems, key tools for risk management

Since 2015, two institutions have been set up in Senegal to improve health coverage in the country:

• Under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour, Social Dialogue, Professional Organisations and Relations with Institutions, the Institution for the Coordination of Mandatory Health Insurance (ICAMO) is the umbrella structure of health insurance institutions (IMP) and is responsible for managing the mandatory health insurance of employees.

• Under the supervision of the Ministry of Community Development, the National Agency for Universal Health Coverage (ANACMU) is responsible for the Universal Health Coverage (CMU) Programme, which aims to cover the entire population of Senegal. Its objective is to set up a more effective institutional mechanism, able to mobilise more financial resources and more qualified human resources.

Information systems have a key role to play in these institutions as a risk management tool to ensure an effective and sustainable management of health coverage by mandatory health insurance (AMO) and CMU. 

ICAMO must deploy its information system in order to play its role as regulator of mandatory health insurance and allow information to be reported from health insurance institutions and the monitoring of their activities.

The development of information systems goes hand in hand with the definition of a national reference system for medical procedures, coupled with a national fee system and a contractual mechanism with healthcare providers. This involves the general and systematic dematerialisation of documents received from healthcare providers to increase efficiency and facilitate exchanges of information. It will also strengthen medical control.

Ensuring synergy between information systems

Information systems are key drivers for the implementation of the Senegalese Government’s public policies. Each actor has worked on designing an information system, focusing on the coverage of the populations concerned, based on specific characteristics: economic, social, demographic, professional and geographical.  

• The CMU agency designs and implements an information system for the integrated management of CMU.

• The Government IT agency develops methods, infrastructure and services to facilitate the implementation and operation of the information systems of public administration.

• The pension scheme institution and social security fund develop a shared information system to improve the management of information relating to companies and beneficiaries.

• ICAMO develops the information system for mandatory health insurance covering employees.

These projects have been developed in parallel and now require adopting a more comprehensive vision of the health insurance information system in Senegal.

While the SIAMO master plan has been developed taking into account changes in mandatory health insurance and universal health coverage, it is now essential to consider health coverage as a whole to ensure the consistency and efficiency of the organisational and technological choices and the proper allocation of the available financial resources. It is also necessary to keep in mind the objective of empowering actors in the medium term and provide for the development of internal competences to ensure the sustainability and scalability of the system.