SSEQCU Project: Construction and renovation of health facilities to improve access to quality healthcare in disadvantaged areas

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Extract from the article: The construction and equipping of new health facilities is part of component 2 of the Essential Quality Health Services for Universal Health Coverage (SSEQCU) project, entitled ‘Bringing health facilities and services closer to households’. The aim o

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The construction and equipping of new health facilities is part of component 2 of the Essential Quality Health Services for Universal Health Coverage (SSEQCU) project, entitled ‘Bringing health facilities and services closer to households’. The aim of this component is to increase access for vulnerable populations to health facilities and services, and to improve the availability of equipment in newly built and rehabilitated health facilities. Here is an overview of what has been achieved in terms of building, renovating and equipping public health facilities in Togo as part of the implementation of the SSEQCU project.

Construction of health facilities

To date, fifty-six (56) health facilities have been fully completed and handed over. These include the peripheral health units of Kadjitiéré and Kampoate in the prefecture of Oti, Ipouali, Folo and Gnezimdè in the prefecture of Mô, Glékopé and Kologan in the prefecture of Agou, and Danyimé in the prefecture of Danyi. Construction of new health facilities is underway. Eighty-six (86) health facilities are under construction, including sixteen (16) in the Savanes region, twenty (20) in the Kara region, fifteen (15) in the Central region and thirty-five (35) in the Plateaux region. These health facilities are equipped with boreholes with a superstructure and a photovoltaic energy supply system. The others will be completed and handed over in the coming weeks. The cost of these buildings is estimated at ten billion three hundred and ten million eight hundred and sixty-two thousand four hundred and seventy-five (10,310,862,475) CFA francs.

Renovation of health facilities

Sixty (60) health facilities have already been renovated in the Savanes region. At a total cost of three billion nine hundred and two million three hundred and thirty-three thousand two hundred and sixty-seven (3,902,333,267) CFA francs. These include the USP of Timbou and Samnaba in the prefecture of Cinkassé, Pogno and Tambonga in the prefecture of Kpendjal Ouest, Bagre and Borgou in the prefecture of Kpendjal, Koumongou and Nali in the prefecture of Oti Sud, Kwanpit-Bong and Nanergou in the prefecture of Tône, as well as Bogou and Yembour in the prefecture of Tandjouaré... Work to rehabilitate health facilities in the Savanes region began in November 2022 and has now been completed to the great satisfaction of the beneficiaries. This year, the project plans to renovate around a hundred health facilities across the country.

Medical equipment made available to health services

In August 2024, in addition to the long list of initiatives already undertaken to improve the quality of healthcare provision, especially for the most vulnerable populations, Togo's public health facilities received a large consignment of medical equipment. The deployment of this equipment will help boost the technical capacity of Togo's health centres, in line with the objectives of the government's roadmap.

Valued at nearly twenty (20) billion CFA francs, the medical equipment includes thousands of hospital and delivery beds, mobile digital X-ray diagnostic equipment, medical ambulances, examination, treatment and delivery tables, IT equipment and mobility equipment.

Specific criteria for the distribution of medical equipment?

The supply of equipment under the SSEQCU project concerns both renovated and newly built health facilities. Ultimately, all the health facilities renovated and built by the Project will benefit from medical equipment to provide better care for the population, particularly those living in disadvantaged areas.

The medical equipment acquired by the government in August 2024 has been distributed to 144 health facilities throughout the country. The health facilities that have benefited from this equipment can be found at all levels of the health pyramid.

Support for healthcare staff assigned to the interior of the country

The strategy for recruiting and retaining medical staff in health facilities, particularly those in disadvantaged areas, aims to improve equity in access to quality healthcare services by training and seconding qualified healthcare professionals to the poorest rural communities.  This strategy is implemented through the regular organisation of competitive examinations for the recruitment of medical and paramedical staff.

In 2024, one thousand seven hundred and ten (1,710) civil servants from the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, in all categories, have been assigned to the regional health departments (Maritime, Plateaux, Centrale, Kara and Savanes) and to certain prefectoral hospital centres. But by 2023, two hundred and fifty-five (255) contract staff had already been recruited for the type 1 and 2 peripheral care units (USP) in the Savanes region.

In addition, the government has just opened a new competitive examination for the recruitment of two thousand two hundred and thirty-five (2235) medical, paramedical and administrative staff for the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene on 31 March 2025.

Gamé KOKO