DGUV and the East and Central African Association ECASSA cooperate

DGUV and ECASSA are collaborating in the field of accident insurance. In February Dr Joachim Breuer, Director General of DGUV and Dr Frédéric Ntimarubusa, General Secretary of ECASSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Berlin. The collaboration focusses on training, prevention and rehabilitation and return to work issues. In most East and Central African Countries social security benefits are mainly provided as cash benefits and changes in particular towards rehabilitation benefits are under discussion.

„Investment in social security counts and training is a prerequisite for sustainable and effective social security systems” these were common remarks of Dr Joachim Breuer and Dr Ntimarubusa in Berlin. Dr Ntimarubusa used to visit DGUV training facilities in Dresden and the BG Hospital Bergmannstrost Halle (one hospital of the Hospital Group of the Statutory Accident Insurance). At DGUV headquarters Berlin the discussions focused on the importance of rehabilitation and return to work for social security systems.

ECASSA celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2017. Social security organisations from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and South Sudan commonly want to improve and enhance social security systems in Central and East Africa. In 2017 a training institute for social security has been launched, the first in Africa. Further plans comprise a cross border network for mobile workers to enable the portability of social security benefits, the introduction of rehabilitation benefits and the installation of an infrastructure for medical and rehabilitative treatment.