Health in Morocco

The first health care policy in Morocco was devised in 1959, with majority of the free healthcare services and management focused on the general public.

Health care services in Morocco have evolved in line with the country’s epidemiological transition, facilitated by heightened surveillance of health-related conditions and the maturing role carried out by the private sector.

In its 2012-16 phase, reforms have aimed primarily at consolidating past gains but also addressing new needs, with a particular focus on restructuring emergency services, promoting family medicine, developing rural health care, extending national coverage schemes and human resource development.

[5] Morocco has also made significant strides in reducing the prevalence of infectious diseases, and has eradicated polio, trachoma and malaria, thanks to a variety of programmes to raise awareness on how to treat and prevent communicable illnesses, in addition to expanded vaccination campaigns and the introduction of new medicines into the market.

Though largely under control, diseases such as hepatitis are still prevalent and efforts are under way to curb the number of affected patients.

[5] Improved longevity – with life expectancy increasing from an average 49.3 years in 1962 to 70.6 in 2012 – and changes in lifestyle and eating habits have meant that such diseases have been on the rise in the past few decades, claiming today three out of every four deaths in Morocco.

[6] Obesity is linked to a greater availability of food, particularly from the West, and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle in urban areas.

Rather, female fatness is embraced, as it "is viewed as a sign of social status and is a cultural symbol of beauty, fertility, and prosperity".

[7] Maternal health care in particular has improved significantly over the past 10 years, with the maternal mortality ratio dropping from 227 deaths per 100,000 live births to 112, and infant mortality declining from 40 deaths per 1000 live births to 30.2, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

This can in large part be attributed to efforts targeting better access to maternal and child health care services, as well as increased awareness on the necessity to seek medical assistance throughout pregnancy and after.