A brand-new health mutual has just been established in Tanguiéta, in northern Benin. As the first and only one in the city, the ALAFIA mutual will enable families to access quality healthcare at a lower cost.

At the end of February, the Constituent General Assembly (CGA) marked the official creation of the Tanguiéta City health mutual. This event concluded eight months of preparatory work, during which community leaders were trained to take charge of raising awareness among the population and encourage widespread membership in this new mutual.

Tanguiéta, a small town in northern Benin, previously had no health mutual. This new structure, established by Louvain Coopération and the "If!" Foundation, will enable residents to receive medical care at a lower cost in health centres and at the Saint Jean de Dieu Hospital in Tanguiéta.

During the Constituent General Assembly, the mutual was officially named ALAFIA, meaning "HEALTH." A Board of Directors comprising nine members and a Supervisory Committee with three members were also established. Madame YARGO Francine was elected as the first President of ALAFIA’s Board of Directors. Several regional political leaders and representatives of Benin’s mutualist movement attended the event to formalise ALAFIA’s launch. This new health mutual aims to have 3,000 beneficiaries by 2028.