(Ecofin Agency) - Morocco still has much room for improvement regarding healthcare, despite recent progress in this area. The country is stepping up its efforts to improve access and quality of care for the population.

Morocco will allocate around $3 billion to its health and social protection sector next year. The Moroccan Press Agency (MAP) disclosed the news on November 27.

Moroccan Prime Minister, Aziz Akhannouch, recently revealed that the country adopted an "exemplary proactive" policy in the healthcare sector. According to the official who was speaking at a monthly oral question session around "Strategic directions for the healthcare system", this policy aims to digitalize the healthcare sector. This, he added, is aimed at improving care pathways and using available resources optimally, thus guaranteeing efficient interventions and lower costs.

In recent years, healthcare in Morocco has improved in various areas. For example, maternal and child mortality, as well as life expectancy, have recorded improvements. However, the country’s healthcare system still has many challenges to overcome. These include the shortage of medical staff, quality of care, and access to care, according to a 2022 report by the Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES). According to the IRES, the share of households in financing the healthcare system exceeds 50%, while 10% of Moroccans spend 30% of their income on healthcare.

With this in mind, the Cherifian Kingdom adopted a draft framework law on healthcare reform in July 2022. This reform is based on four pillars, namely good governance, human resources development, upgrading the healthcare offering, and digitalization. To this end, the Moroccan government has launched several initiatives. Last October, the country committed $17.5 million to deploying connected medical units in rural areas, to reduce the deficit in access to healthcare services in these areas.

According to the National Health Insurance Agency (ANAM), the Moroccan population benefiting from medical coverage reached 79.8% at the end of September 2022, compared with 74.2% at the end of 2021.

Charlène N’dimon (intern)