Health & Education
From The Report: Morocco 2014
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Significant strides have been made in improving health indicators, particularly in terms of maternal and child mortality rates. Costs, however, are likely to remain a major obstacle, with out-of-pocket expenditure accounting for approximately 53% of spending on health care. A 2011 constitutional amendment enshrined access to health care as a basic right and the authorities are working to expand coverage. The Medical Assistance Regime (Régime d’Assistance Médicale, RAMED), first launched in 2009, aims to provide 8.5m impoverished people – around 27% of the total population – with medical assistance to enhance access to medical and health care service. As of end-2013, around 7m people were benefiting from RAMED coverage. Ongoing negotiations to extend insurance coverage will be key to ensuring universal access to health care services. The expansion of rural health care, notably emergency services, should also contribute towards reducing the disparity in service provision throughout the country. The Emergency Plan 2009-12 has channeled substantial funds into the education sector, allowing better infrastructure to facilitate an increase in school enrollment rates. Nevertheless, a number of challenges still need to be addressed to improve access to education in rural areas and ensure greater gender equality. Launched five years ago, the Emergency Plan 2009-12 aims to boost schooling levels in the kingdom, enhance the quality of teaching and infrastructure, and improve higher education and scientific research. Net enrolment in primary education went up from 52.4% to 98.2% between 2005/06 and 2012/13, while middle school and secondary school also saw improved enrolment levels. The growth of private universities and the proliferation of PPPs in higher education should help Morocco absorb a rising number of prospective students, as well as allow the country to create offerings in line with the needs of the job market. This chapter contains interviews with El Houssaine Louardi, Minister of Health; Mehdi Zaghloul, President, Maroc Innovation et Santé; and Larbi Bencheikh, Managing Director, Office of Vocational Training and Employment Promotion (OFPPT).

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

More for less: Providing care for an ageing population while reducing costs
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Significant strides have been made in improving health indicators, particularly in terms of maternal and child mortality rates. The Ministry of Health (Ministère de la Santé, MS) launched its 2012-16 action plan with a focus on maternal and child heath care. Moreover, to help Morocco reach the objectives outlined in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015, a new national plan was launched in November 2013 as part of a broader regional initiative conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and involving 22 countries. The plan targets improvements to maternal and…

Interview

OBG talks to El Houssaine Louardi, Minister of Health
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Interview:El Houssaine Louardi What effect will Law No. 10.94 have on the modernisation of Morocco’s medical industry? EL HOUSSAINE LOUARDI: The law aims to widen access to capital for non-doctors at private hospitals, in a context where the cost of equipment has become more expensive and new sources of investment are required to meet the needs of health care facilities. This system, adopted by 68% of countries, has proven its efficiency as a catalyst for growth for their health care sectors.…

Interview

OBG talks to Mehdi Zaghloul, President, Maroc Innovation et Santé
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Interview:Mehdi Zaghloul What impact are lower prices for medicines likely to have on consumption in 2014? MEHDI ZAGHLOUL: The price decline has been supported by the Maroc Innovation et Santé since the beginning and is an opportunity for the market to gain volume. However, lowering prices without putting in place a strategy to enable Moroccan patients greater access to health services cannot have a lasting impact on medicine consumption. Only lowered prices combined with the extension of…

Analysis

Facilities planning: Efforts are under way to extend services to rural areas
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Health care infrastructure has seen significant developments, with the number of facilities rising from one for every 17,000 people in 1980 to one for every 12,000 in 2014. The system has 144 public hospitals, with 22,000 beds, and 373 private clinics, accounting for around 10,300 beds. However, despite improvements in health insurance coverage, notably since the advent of the Medical Assistance Regime (Régime d’ Assistance Médicale, RAMED), provision of health care services remains unequal between urban and rural areas, with 20% of Moroccans living more than 10 km away from the nearest primary care centre. RAMED has taken 7m people under…

Overview

Building credentials: Reform can nurture talent and enhance technical skills
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The Emergency Plan 2009-12 was launched five years ago to boost schooling levels in the kingdom, enhance the quality of teaching and infrastructure, and improve higher education and scientific research. Budgeted at Dh35bn (€3.1bn), the initiative has channelled substantial funds into the education sector, allowing better infrastructure to facilitate an increase in school enrolment rates. Nevertheless, a number of challenges still need to be addressed to improve access to education in rural areas and ensure greater gender equality. PERFORMANCE: According to recent figures released by the World Bank, Moroccan education has made considerable…

Analysis

Matching skills with needs: A growing emphasis on training and research
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Young people aged 15-24 comprise 30% of Morocco’s population of 32.3m, and like most of the region the country is seeking to harmonise and improve the skills of its population with the needs of the market. A mismatch in training and job opportunities has left many young Moroccans without a job. Indeed, a survey published by the World Bank in 2012 revealed that 49% of the country’s youth are neither in school nor in the workforce. As per figures from the High Commission for Planning, young people aged 15 to 24 made up 19.3% of people without jobs in 2013, up from 18.6% in 2012. NEEDS & SKILLS: A study to determine labour needs released…

Interview

OBG talks to Larbi Bencheikh, Managing Director, Office of Vocational Training and Employment Promotion (OFPPT)
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Interview:Larbi Bencheikh What strategies have been put in place to help train and guarantee a qualified workforce? LARBI BENCHEIKH: The Emergency Plan aims at providing a development framework for new industrial activities that generate wealth and jobs to allow better human and economic development opportunities. This framework agreement is based on three pillars: first, focusing efforts on sectors for which Morocco boasts competitive potential through development programmes; second, implementing…