Morocco Places Health Reform at the Heart of Development Strategy
Morocco’s Head of Government, Aziz Akhannouch, has reaffirmed that overhauling the national health system stands as a strategic pillar in the country’s push for socio-economic transformation.
During a plenary session in the House of Representatives on Monday, he described the health sector as a foundation for the long-term vision, rather than a simple sectoral reform.
The session focused on the state of the national health system, examining recent developments and long-term ambitions.
According to Akhannouch, the government’s current approach reflects a clear political choice to initiate structural change in how healthcare operates across the country.
This reform, he explained, goes beyond superficial adjustments and seeks to reconstruct the system through bold legislative, administrative, and financial decisions.
At the core of the effort is a framework law that now underpins Morocco’s health policy. It outlines four main axes: improving governance with a stronger regional structure, developing and supporting human resources in healthcare, expanding and upgrading medical services, and integrating digital technologies into the sector.
The scale of the reform is also reflected in the budget. Since 2021, public spending on health has risen significantly, from MAD 19.7 billion ($1.9 billion) to a projected MAD 32.6 billion ($3.2 billion) in 2025, an increase of more than 65% during the current government’s term.
One of the most significant outcomes so far is the expansion of medical coverage. What was once limited to salaried employees and civil servants now extends to the entire population.
The government considers this shift essential to ensuring equitable access to healthcare and sees it as a turning point in public service delivery.
Health security has emerged as a strategic tool to support the broader project of universal coverage, in line with royal directives.
The government has linked this goal with its larger plans for national development, treating health not as an isolated sector but as a central part of Morocco’s social and economic future.
The reform’s ambition lies in its scope and direction. It seeks to change how healthcare is delivered, how it is governed, and how citizens interact with the system.
However, despite the government’s ambitious agenda, many Moroccans continue to face serious challenges in accessing quality healthcare. Pensioners, in particular, often struggle with long wait times, shortages of medical staff, and limited services in public hospitals.
For large segments of the population, especially in rural areas, the promised improvements remain very distant from Moroccans’ daily reality.
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