Health

Galvanised by encouraging policy-driven results, as well as by the 2011 constitutional amendments that enshrined access to health care as a basic right of all citizens, Morocco is securing the gains it has made over the past two decades. While health care indicators have shown improvements in recent years, a noticeable gap continues to exist between the country’s urban and rural areas, prompting new government programmes to correct this. Although the RAMED insurance scheme should greatly increase the number of people who have access to medical services, future success will depend on revamping existing infrastructure and deploying new equipment into less developed areas. The kingdom’s pharmaceuticals sector has seen steady growth over several decades, with the number of local and foreign manufacturing units growing from 13 facilities in 1975 to 32 in 2011. Sales reached €755.7m in 2012, a 4% increase on 2011 figures. Production accounts for 70% of local consumption, but exports are still low compared to capabilities, at 10% of annual output. This chapter includes an interview with Houssaine Louardi, Minister of Health.