Africa proposes its own strategy to reduce health hazards

The 2nd African Conference on Health Risk Reduction was held in Marrakech with the challenge of improving the prevention of risks that may affect health and the environment in Morocco and in Africa in general. 

The African continent is calling for greater autonomy and its own capacity for manoeuvre to protect its own health, but also with the important international collaboration to support in terms of technology and knowledge. 

The 2nd African Conference on Health Risk Reduction in Marrakech, organised by African Global Health and the Moroccan government under the patronage of King Mohammed VI, brought together experts and policy makers from 80 countries to discuss how to promote greater protection of health and the environment.  

Atalayar was able to speak with the Moroccan Minister of Industry and Trade, Ryad Mezzour, on the occasion of this conclave to discuss health prevention issues in the Moroccan kingdom and in Africa. 

Minister, the assessment and objectives of this conference.

This conference is very important to reduce the risks to the health of the population. It is a conference in line with the orientations of His Majesty King Mohamed VI who insists on an Africa that relies on Africa, that proposes and elaborates its own strategy and now we are doing it with the whole world, we are doing it here in Marrakech with experts from 80 countries who come to help Africans to elaborate a strategy to reduce all the effects, the dangers to health.  

It is also a way to make it multidimensional, because health is not only about doctors. It is also prevention, it is also working on industry. It is also working on the environment. It is also working to reduce the whole impact on health in life, in industry, in electricity production. It is a very complete ecosystem and we are working together, with hundreds of experts from around the world to make our own strategy for Africa and for the South as well. 

And does your Ministry have concrete policies? 

Of course, the Moroccan Ministry of Industry has a clear decarbonisation policy which is essential and economically very important for a country that has no oil. It also has policies for health in companies, it also has policies to reduce the health impact of Moroccan industrial products. 

And Moroccan technology. We have seen Aba Technology, drones with very advanced telemedicine assistance. 

Of course, technology is an important part of this whole ecosystem and Moroccan technology is developing very impressively. 

You talk about Africa, but Spain and Europe should also collaborate more with you to avoid this 

Of course, Spain and Europe are a very important partner for Africa and for Morocco, and at least 50% of Spain's trade with Africa is with Morocco. It is a very important partner and we do it together. It is not an exclusion, it is just a responsibility that Africa takes on for its own prevention with the help of all friends and allies.  

We see Marrakech functioning with vitality, mourning the tragedy after the earthquake, but very prepared for this conference and for the one in a fortnight's time of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. 

Marrakech is ready, it was ready from the first day after the earthquake. Marrakech and Morocco have everything that is needed to work, to help and to deal with all the effects of the earthquake and it is also ready to organise everything that can be organised in this city.