Health Care

Health conditions are relatively poor in Morocco compared to other countries, but programs of mass education in child and parent hygiene, as well as government-supervised health services in schools and colleges, have helped to raise standards. Campaigns have been conducted against malaria, tuberculosis, venereal diseases, and cancer. However, gastrointestinal infections, malaria, typhoid, trachoma, and tuberculosis remain widespread. The World Health Organizations and UNICEF have cooperated in the government's campaigns against eye disorders and venereal diseases.

The current health system is comprised of three sectors: a public sector consisting of both the Ministry of Public Health and the Health Services of the Royal Armed Forces; a semi-public sector; and a private sector. These together have been responsible for a dramatic reduction in mortality rates. Reform is currently under way with financing coming from health insurance revenues and the budget of the Public Health Ministry. Implementation of a universal health insurance scheme finally began in 2005; it was devised to go through two separate stages. The first stage of the project aims to increase coverage of the active population from its present level of 17% to 34%, equivalent to over 10 million people. The second stage of the scheme extended health insurance coverage to the self employed, which increased coverage to around 50% of the population.