Morocco's ambition is to achieve national sovereignty in medicines
"In accordance with the real vision for the consolidation of health sovereignty as the basis of the strategic security of the Kingdom of Morocco, the government is working on the creation of a Moroccan agency for medicines and medical devices under Law 10.22, endowing it with the prerogatives and mechanisms necessary to accompany the rapid developments in the sector," revealed Aziz Akhannouch, head of the Moroccan government.
Strengthening drug safety and expanding access to quality medicines and health products at affordable prices for citizens is the primary objective of the national strategy that Morocco intends to implement to achieve health sovereignty in general and drug sovereignty in particular. In this regard, the government is committed to domestic production to meet 70% of market needs thanks to the creation of the Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products, which will monitor the evolution of the sector in the country, on the one hand, and the inauguration of the first intelligent factory for generic medicines in Africa in the province of Benslimane, on the other.
In addition to these measures, there are also prevention programmes, free vaccines and maternal and child health initiatives. The whole process undertaken by the government reflects the dynamics of the country in terms of support for investment projects related to the health system.
In its efforts to consolidate the health offer in Morocco, "the government continues to implement a series of prevention and disease control programmes," Akhannouch said, highlighting the achievements made this year in the field of maternal and child health, especially through the free supply of vaccines for the protection of children, infants and women of childbearing age.
The President of the Government pointed out that "the social categories in need have benefited from special attention"; stressing "the importance of the childbirth allowance, especially for the first and second birth, in protecting the health of mothers and newborns in families in precarious situations".
In this regard, "the government is working to provide more than 500,000 health care benefits to the population concerned by the "Riaya" operation (launched by the Ministry of Health in 2021 for people living in remote areas exposed to cold waves) through 4,000 visits to mobile medical units and the organisation of more than 200 small specialised medical campaigns, in addition to caring for more than 29,000 women victims of violence.
As for people suffering from chronic diseases, Akhannouch said that more than one million diabetics have been treated in the various primary health care establishments, in addition to the acquisition of electronic devices for the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of patients with hypertension in these establishments and the care of some 200,000 patients in oncology centres.
"The Annual National Health Screening Campaign for the school-age population benefited more than 1.5 million children, adolescents and young people, including people with disabilities," the head of government recalled.
As for the fight against communicable diseases, Akhannouch announced that the rate of new cases related to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) had dropped to 50%, as well as the launch of five new care centres for people suffering from HIV in Tetouan, Dakhla, Tiznit, Jenifra and Essaouira.
Moreover, "the TB treatment success rate has remained at 90%, with an increase in the rate for drug-resistant TB from 57% to 63%," concluded Aziz Akhannouch.