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The Democratic Republic of Congo launches its first ever Statistical Bulletin on Social Protection
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s first Statistical Bulletin on Social Protection was launched by the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Protection on 15 October, in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The launch event saw active participation from 88 actors from the country’s social protection system and its partners, including representatives of the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare, directors of various social protection institutions such as the Health Solidarity Fund (FSS) and the National Institute of Statistics (INS), as well as members of national and international NGOs, representatives of UN agencies, and the Embassy of Belgium.
The purpose of this statistical bulletin on social protection is to support the development of national social protection strategies and policies in DRC by facilitating evidence-based decision-making. It presents the social protection system and consolidated statistics on the coverage of existing schemes, reviews social protection statistics, particularly coverage indicators for statutory schemes and regarding the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 1.3.1 in 2022, and presents an overview of the progress made in the extension of social health protection coverage in 2023.
The bulletin was developed over the period of one and a half years by a multi-sectoral team led by the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare through the National Secretariat for Social Protection. The team included the Ministry of Primary, Secondary, and Technical Education (MEPST), the Ministry of Social Affairs, Humanitarian Action, and National Solidarity (MINAS), the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), the National Social Security Fund for State Agents (CNSSAP), the Health Solidarity Fund (FSS), and the Health Mutual Fund for Teachers of EPST (MESP).
At the launch event, Romain Muboyayi, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare reiterated the country’s commitment towards universal and comprehensive social protection.
Social protection is not only a recognized human right, but also a social and economic necessity. By providing healthcare, income security, and social services, social protection enhances productivity and contributes to dignity and the full realization of individual well-being.
– Romain Muboyayi, Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Public Health, Hygiene, and Social Welfare
Moustapha Diouf, Junior Actuary, Social Security at the ILO emphasized the importance of social protection statistics in his address.
Statistics play an essential role in strengthening social protection systems. By highlighting coverage gaps and progress made, social protection statistics can help accelerate the extension of social protection, improve its efficiency and transparency in administration, and inform national debates on strategy development and policy reform.
– Moustapha Diouf, Junior Actuary, Social Security, ILO
Since March 2022, the ILO has been supporting the DRC in extending social protection coverage and strengthening the social protection system through the project Building social protection floors for all - support for the second phase of the ILO's global flagship programme in the DRC. The project has been made possible with funding from Belgium and Luxembourg.
Explore DRC’s social protection systems and coverage in the first edition of the statistical bulletin here.
Read also: News item published by Agence Congolaise de Presse (accessible in French only).