The burden of poor maternal and child health outcomes in Togo has remained persistently high over the past decade, with an estimated maternal mortality ratio of 398 deaths per 100,000 live births and an under-five child mortality rate of 88 deaths per 1,000 live births[1].
It is against this backdrop that the Togolese Ministry of Health launched an initiative named Wezou in August 2021, to increase access to health care for expectant mothers and young children by removing the cost of care for maternal and child health services – a key barrier to access. The Financing Alliance for Health (FAH), through an ecosystem of partners, supported the Ministry of Health to co- develop a detailed road map on the user-fee elimination program. This road map included vital steps and activities such as analysis of the proposals for financing the bundle of services covered by the Wezou program.
What is Wezou?
Wezou is a government program, dedicated to the management of care for pregnant women and newborns with an aim to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by:
- Increasing the level of use of maternal care through regular monitoring of pregnant women until their delivery in health facilities and adequate management of pregnancy-related complications.
- Reducing the financial impact related to maternal health care by eliminating the costs incurred.
How does Wezou work?
When a woman confirms her pregnancy status at the health center, the midwife or nurse enrolls her on the digital Wezou platform via their smartphone. They are then assigned an identification number, which they use throughout their pregnancy and childbirth.
The support includes regular monitoring as part of prenatal care and delivery in health facilities.
What is included in Wezou?
For its first year of implementation, the Government of Togo mobilized a budget of about 3 billion FCFA[2] to ensure all pregnant women have access to essential maternal healthcare without financial hardship. The essential health package offered by the initiative includes:
- Four prenatal consultations
- Provider fees, hospitalization costs, and basic commodities for uncomplicated deliveries, C-sections, and assisted vaginal deliveries
- Basic postnatal care
Results
As of December 2021:
Of health facilities were offering the program services
Pregnant women had enrolled in the program
Women had benefited from the program services
Limitations of the initiative
While the launch and roll out of the Wezou program is a remarkable step, the package of services included in its offering is limited[3]. FAH and other partners continue to work with the Ministry of Health to ensure full subsidization of all maternal health costs, as this will significantly help thousands of Togolese families.
Next steps
FAH continues to work with the Ministry of Health to define the second phase of support for primary needed for implementation of the user-fee elimination program for primary health services.
We are excited to work with the government and other partners in this crucial journey towards achieving universal health coverage.
[1]https://reliefweb.int/report/togo/investing-maternal-and-child-health-togo#:~:text=HI%20is%20improving%20health%20facilities,by%20the%20end%20of%202019.
[2] https://beninwebtv.com/togo-reduction-du-taux-de-mortalite-neo-natale-les-details-sur-le-programme-wezou/
[3] https://beninwebtv.com/togo-reduction-du-taux-de-mortalite-neo-natale-les-details-sur-le-programme-wezou/