Terminal Illness & End-of-Life Planning in Republic of the Congo: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Coordinating palliative care and specialized medical support

   • Hospital-based specialized care: In the Republic of the Congo, specialized medical treatment, pain management, and continuous supportive care are primarily coordinated through major public referral hospitals supervised by the Ministry of Health and Population (Ministère de la Santé et de la Population), such as the University Hospital Center of Brazzaville (CHU-B) and the Adolphe Sicé General Hospital in Pointe-Noire [4]. The hospital medical team establishes a care protocol tailored to the patient's clinical needs [4].
   • Home medical follow-up: When the patient's clinical condition allows care at home, ongoing analgesic prescriptions and nursing care are coordinated between the referring hospital department and integrated health centers under the Ministry of Health and Population [4].
   • Health insurance coverage: Verify benefit coverage with the Universal Health Insurance Fund (CAMU) or private health insurers, as well as the medical board procedures required if a specialized medical transfer is considered [3][4].
2. 2

   Advance medical directives and designating a healthcare proxy

   • Written statement of medical preferences: Although Congolese health regulations do not maintain a centralized electronic registry for advance directives, any adult with full legal capacity under the Family Code may record in writing their preferences regarding invasive treatments, resuscitation, and comfort care to guide physicians [1][4].
   • Designating a trusted family representative: It is advisable to formally designate a trusted family representative in the patient's medical file held by the hospital supervised by the Ministry of Health and Population [4]. This designated family member is consulted as a priority by the medical team if the patient becomes unable to express informed consent directly [4].
   • Formalization and safekeeping: To strengthen the evidentiary value of these written wishes, have your family member date and sign the document before two witnesses or a Congolese notary, provide a copy to the attending physician, and keep an accessible copy with the family [1][2].
3. 3

   Banking powers of attorney, notarial mandates, and legal protection

   • Dedicated bank power of attorney: While the patient retains full mental clarity and legal capacity, contact their commercial banks in the Republic of the Congo to execute formal banking powers of attorney (procurations bancaires) over current and savings accounts [1]. This prevents account freezes when paying medical bills and household expenses if physical incapacity develops later [1].
   • Notarial power of attorney for administration: For broader property or administrative transactions (managing real estate, handling tax or social security matters, or collecting rental income), your family member may sign an authentic power of attorney before a notary practicing within the jurisdiction of the courts supervised by the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Promotion of Indigenous Peoples (Ministère de la Justice, des Droits Humains et de la Promotion des Peuples Autochtones) [1][2]. The notary personally verifies the principal's mental capacity at the time of signature [1][2].
   • Guardianship and judicial protection of adults: If mental or physical impairment preventing the expression of will occurs before a mandate is signed, Law No. 073/84 of 17 October 1984 enacting the Family Code provides that only the competent court under the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Promotion of Indigenous Peoples may establish guardianship (tutelle) or curatorship (curatelle) [1][2].
4. 4

   Disability benefits, social security, and caregiver support

   • Private-sector invalidity pension: If your family member is a salaried worker affiliated with the general social security system and experiences a permanent reduction in working capacity, an application for an invalidity pension can be filed with the National Social Security Fund (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale - CNSS) [3][5]. The file reviewed by the National Social Security Fund requires a detailed medical report prepared by the attending physician and verified by the fund's medical officer [3][5].
   • Supplement for third-party assistance: Where invalidity requires the insured person to rely constantly on assistance from another person to perform ordinary daily activities, the scheme administered by the National Social Security Fund provides a specific pension supplement [3][5].
   • Civil servants and workplace leave for family caregivers: For state employees, extended sick leave and invalidity pension entitlements are governed by the general civil service statute and the Civil Servants' Retirement Fund [3]. Salaried family caregivers may request authorized family leave or temporary schedule adjustments from their employer upon presentation of a hospital medical certificate [3][4].
5. 5

   Will preparation, civil status verification, and estate organization

   • Prior verification of civil status records: Before finalizing estate planning, verify that the birth certificate, marriage certificate, and children's birth certificates of your family member are properly recorded and free of errors in the civil status registers in accordance with the Family Code [1]. Any rectification or supplementary judgment before the courts of the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Promotion of Indigenous Peoples is much simpler to complete during the person's lifetime [1][2].
   • Drafting a will under the Family Code: Under Law No. 073/84 enacting the Family Code, any person of sound mind may organize the distribution of their estate through an authentic will (executed before a notary or judge), a holographic will (entirely handwritten, dated, and signed by the testator), or a mystic will, while respecting the statutory forced-heirship shares of children and the surviving spouse [1].
   • Beneficiary clauses and international coordination: Review beneficiary designations on life insurance policies, gather land titles and bank statements, and execute notarized powers of attorney if assets or heirs are located outside the Republic of the Congo [1][2].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Law No. 073/84 of 17 October 1984 Enacting the Family Code (Civil Status, Capacity, Wills, and Successions) — Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement de la République du Congo
2. [2]
   Judicial Organization and Jurisdiction of Courts in the Republic of the Congo — Ministère de la Justice, des Droits Humains et de la Promotion des Peuples Autochtones
3. [3]
   National Social Security Fund (CNSS) - Pension Scheme and Invalidity Benefits — Ministère de la Fonction Publique, du Travail et de la Sécurité Sociale (Congo)
4. [4]
   Official Portal of the Ministry of Health and Population — Ministère de la Santé et de la Population (République du Congo)
5. [5]
   Official Portal of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS) — Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale de la République du Congo