In Togo, around 58.7 percent of the population live below the poverty line. Poor families cannot afford to pay for some of the basic services making them vulnerable to social risks. These risks such as old age, death in the family, and disabling accidents or illnesses can be addressed through social
protection programs. Given the existing social protection programs of the government, many
individuals are not yet accounted for particularly workers from the informal sector. The informal sector
in Togo is estimated to be 84 percent of the population with an annual growth rate of 5 percent. In the main cities of Togo, many of the workers are in the informal economy. In Lome, for instance, 83 percent work in the informal sector. Despite the large portion of the Togolese working population engaged in the informal economy, many still have no financial protection against illness or disability.