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Introduction: In Senegal, the public funding in community health post is low. Resources are mainly obtained from the sale of services. The aim of this study is to analyse the operating cost of a community health post and to propose a relevant tariffing that would assure sustainable activities., Methods: We used the method of complete costs. It comes out from our study that the total cost is 20 870 920F., Results: Wages represent 70% of total expenses, operating costs represent 27% and 4% are investment. The public funding represents a value of 12 257 325F (60% of the total) in which 88% correspond to expenses induced by civil servant wages. The health committee participates for 33% and the other participants (7%)., Conclusion: At the end of our study, a sustainable and social tariffing, was proposed.

In various countries in Africa, community financing has become the main source of finance for health services. In Benin, the "Bamako Initiative" experiment started in 1988 for many health structures and has subsequently been greatly expanded. After three years experience, the authors try to answer some important questions about community financing: To what extent does payment of fees have an influence on the use of health services? How are the funds collected and used and is embezzlement a serious problem? The question of equity is also considered as well as cost recovery, allowing an economics-based assessment of the Bamako Initiative which suggests that it has a promising future in Benin.