PRIVATE HEALTH SECTOR
- Health Facilities
The private health sector has developed in recent years with the emergence of various types of private health facilities (polyclinics, clinics, medical centers and offices, private infirmaries, etc.) that fit perfectly into the different levels of the health pyramid.
It contributes to nearly half of the national supply of health services (approximately 40% at the national level and 60% in Abidjan) and is primarily present in large urban areas.
According to data available as of September 30, 2024, there are 3,640 private health facilities recorded in the database of the Directorate of Private Establishments and Health Professions (DEPPS).
Evolution of Private Health Facilities by Levels of Intervention
| Levels of Intervention | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Polyclinics | 15 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 28 |
| Medical Clinics | 209 | 234 | 270 | 286 | 318 | 352 | 375 | 410 | 433 | 449 |
| Medical Centers | 236 | 265 | 316 | 343 | 345 | 432 | 511 | 603 | 693 | 747 |
| Medical Offices | 88 | 94 | 106 | 110 | 117 | 125 | 140 | 156 | 171 | 184 |
| Maternities | 105 | 112 | 127 | 138 | 138 | 148 | 164 | 186 | 211 | 223 |
| Nursing Care Centers | 408 | 422 | 464 | 483 | 530 | 559 | 581 | 582 | 654 | 723 |
| Other Paramedical and Related Establishments | 377 | 426 | 470 | 668 | 901 | 929 | 977 | 1093 | 1189 | 1267 |
| Total | 1445 | 1577 | 1779 | 2055 | 2380 | 2578 | 2781 | 3066 | 3395 | 3640 |
Source: Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene, and Universal Health Coverage, September 30, 2024
Pharmaceutical Sector
The private pharmaceutical sector also plays a significant role in the health system, covering 80 to 90% of the supply of medications.
This sector mainly includes:
- Four (04) wholesalers-distributors (UBIPHARM, COPHARMED, DPCI, and TEDIS PHARMA CI) that import over 90% of their products;
- One thousand two hundred fifty (1,250) private pharmacies as of the end of December 2023;
- Ten (10) active drug production units in 2023.
Traditional Medicine
- In light of resource shortages, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises developing countries to utilize local resources, particularly traditional medicine, by integrating it into their health priorities. The Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene, and Universal Health Coverage (MSHPCU) has implemented these recommendations.
- The practice and organization of traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia are regulated by Law No. 2015-536 of July 20, 2015, and Decree No. 2016-24 of January 27, 2016, which establishes the Code of Ethics and Deontology for practitioners of traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia.
- The National Program for the Promotion of Traditional Medicine (PNPMT) centrally coordinates the activities of traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia.
- Practitioners of Traditional Medicine (PMT) operate at the peripheral level under the authority of health districts.
- PMTs are organized into Associations of Practitioners of Traditional Medicine of Health Districts (APMTDS), with the umbrella organization being the National Organization of Associations of Practitioners of Traditional Medicine of Health Districts (ONAPMTDS).
- These associations participate in meetings of the Health District Framework Team (ECDS). In terms of practice, approximately 10,000 Practitioners of Traditional Medicine (PMT) are counted in 2024.
- They receive training in anatomy, conventional hygiene, techniques for collecting and sustainably preserving medicinal plants, knowledge of diseases, etc.
- In terms of practices, therapies are medicinal, non-medicinal, and mixed (combining both). Between 2010 and 2024, several research and development activities have been conducted, analyzing 650 Improved Traditional Medicines (MTA), of which 13 have been approved for marketing authorization.
- The Ivorian Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authority (AIRP) has recorded the official declaration of 21 artisanal production units of MTA between 2018 and 2024.