Five years after Morocco launched a major reform of its health system, the country continues to face significant obstacles in ensuring real access to care. Key challenges include high out-of-pocket costs, weaknesses in public hospitals, a shortage of health workers, and territorial disparities.
The reform, initiated in 2021, aimed to expand health insurance coverage and improve the quality of public healthcare. While progress has been made in enrolling more citizens in mandatory health insurance, the actual use of services remains limited by financial and geographic barriers.
According to recent reports, out-of-pocket payments still represent a substantial share of total health expenditure, placing a heavy burden on households. Public hospitals often lack adequate resources and staffing, particularly in rural areas, forcing many patients to seek care in the private sector or travel to larger cities.
The shortage of healthcare professionals is a critical issue. Morocco has a low density of doctors and nurses compared to international standards, and the uneven distribution of staff exacerbates regional inequalities. The government has announced plans to increase training capacity and recruit more health workers, but these measures will take time to yield results.
As the reform enters its sixth year, experts emphasize that addressing these structural challenges is essential to achieving universal health coverage. Without significant investments in infrastructure and human resources, the goal of equitable access to quality care remains distant.
