Scaling Impact Together: Muso Joins Government Universal Health Coverage Efforts

As part of government efforts to advance universal health coverage in Côte d’Ivoire, the Directorate General for Universal Health Coverage collaborated with Muso to conduct a joint mission in the Madinani Health District at the end of Q1 2025.

Healthcare worker with patients at the Madinani General Hospital.

The Directorate, which oversees Côte d’Ivoire’s national health insurance program to advance universal health care, sought to assess the implementation and impact of Muso’s Rapid Care model and explore opportunities for deeper collaboration. This engagement marks a new and strategically significant stakeholder relationship for Muso in Côte d’Ivoire - aligning with our broader efforts to scale equitable, evidence-based care delivery models through national systems. 

The teams visited several health facilities - including primary care centers and medicine depots - and joined Professional CHWs (ProCHWs) on their routine door-to-door visits in communities. During these visits, interviews with frontline providers and patients, as well as on-site assessments, revealed strong positive feedback and encouraging outcomes since the launch of Rapid Care in Madinani - including improved access to timely care, reduced treatment delays, and high levels of community support. 

At the close of the visit, discussions between the Directorate and Muso teams highlighted several areas of synergy, particularly around integrating ProCHWs into the network of services covered by the national health insurance system (known as CMU), aligning digital health systems, and testing innovative financing mechanisms for removing financial barriers to care. 

Both teams agreed to continue discussions and explore the co-design of an initiative to assess how Muso’s Rapid Care model could be further integrated into Côte d’Ivoire’s health system, with key priorities including quality alignment, strengthened monitoring and evaluation, and deeper community engagement.

Just a few weeks later, in Q2, the government announced the launch of a new nationwide program (CMU+) to provide four months of fully free care at rural health centers for all individuals enrolled in the Ivorian health insurance program - regardless of premium payment status - and invited Muso to support its implementation and research.

Led by the Ministry of Health, the CMU+ program aims to leverage the current national health insurance program and expand access to primary health care across 2,823 rural health facilities serving approximately 13 million people. CMU+ covers 95% of the Minimum Activity Package under the national universal health coverage system, including curative and preventive services, chronic disease management, immunizations, and diagnostic care. Care at these centers is provided without fees to patients, with only a 30% co-payment required at higher-level referral hospitals. By removing financial barriers, CMU+ seeks to significantly reduce maternal and child mortality nationwide.

In parallel, Muso and the Directorate are working closely to conduct a joint evaluation and generate rapid learnings from our 29 joint operational research sites in the Madinani and Adzopé districts. The insights gained from this evaluation will provide essential evidence to assess the impact and feasibility of the program, and whether it can be scaled and permanently integrated into the national health system.

This partnership aims not only to strengthen the implementation of vital health initiatives but also to build a more responsive, adaptable health system capable of meeting the evolving needs of communities across Côte d’Ivoire. Together, we are laying the foundation for a healthier future, where barriers to care are removed, maternal and child mortality are significantly reduced, and UHC becomes a reality that leaves no one behind.