L’Assurance pour le renforcement du capital humain (ARCH) au Bénin : processus d’élaboration et défis de mise en oeuvre

This article, based on a socio-anthropological field survey, examines the process
of developing the Human Capital Insurance (ARCH) scheme in Benin and the
challenges, risks and stakes in implementing this social protection policy, especially
in health care. As a first step, we analyze the process of development of
the project that up to now has been characterized by the domination of national
experts on the main orientations and a lack of debate and involvement of stakeholders.
Since the ARCH scheme relies on an identification of poor and extreme poor
population categories, the targeting process is then discussed. Finally, we pinpoint
various risks and potential tensions that must be taken into account in the implementation
of the project, as regards the financing, the quality, and the governance
of health care availability but also the factors of the population’s support and the
persistence of barriers to access to care.