Togo extends health insurance coverage to the self-employed – a first in Africa.

Togo extends health insurance coverage to the self-employed – a first in Africa.

Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a small country in West Africa. It borders Ghana to the west, Benin to the east, and Burkina Faso to the north, and extends to the Gulf of Guinea in the south. The country's capital and largest city, Lomé, is located on the coast. With an area of ​​approximately 57,000 square kilometers and a population of around 8.5 million people (as of 2025), Togo is one of the least developed countries and has a tropical climate. The official language is French, although many local languages, particularly of the Gbe family, are spoken. The population is almost half Christian, with significant traditional animist and voodoo practices. Politically, Togo is a multi-party republic with a president and a legislative assembly. The economy is largely dependent on agriculture. Workers can contribute to the program in various payment methods: $18 per month, $50 per quarter, $96 per semester, or $181 per year. The program was recently expanded to include widows, widowers, and orphans. The National Social Security Fund plans to gradually expand the program to other socio-professional categories in the coming months. In Kenya, the Social Health Authority (SHA) insurance covers over 27 million registered members as of October 2025. This coverage includes a wide range of Kenyans across different economic sectors under the government's universal health coverage agenda. As of 2025, Kenya's population is estimated to be approximately 57.5 million to 57.6 million inhabitants. Various sources, including the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and United Nations projections, report figures around 57,532,493 to 57,635,650 people for that year. This reflects a steady growth trend in Kenya's population