[The health care system in Morocco]

At present, Morocco is looking into ways and means for the setting up of a health system liable to satisfy the requirements of the end of this century while taking into account the socio-economic constraints. The current health system comprises three sectors: a public sector consisting of the structures of the ministry of public Health together with those of the Health services of the Royal Armed Forces, a semipublic sector, and a private sector. The health system has been undeniably instrumental in the improvement of the health standards in independent Morocco. One figure is evidence enough of that: mortality rate dropped from 160% in 1956 to 57.4% in 1993. This score, however, does not make up for the inadequacies of the system: insufficient human and material means, uneven geographic distribution of health cover and a very limited health insurance. In order to remedy this situation, a health system development program is to be elaborated in the next few months. With the aim of improving the quality and the geographic expansion of the health cover, this program rests upon a number of fundamental principles: progressively generalized compulsory health insurance, improved health cover in the rural area, and a greater commitment to health matters on the part of local elected councils. The financing of the program will rely on health insurance revenues and the budget of the public Health ministry. The latter item will be devoted to the development of health infrastructures and, prior to generalized compulsory health insurance, to the financing of health-care for the poorest.