Speaking at a roundtable during the 2025 High-Level Forum on UHC, Mr. Tehraoui highlighted the progress achieved by the Kingdom in expanding social protection, overhauling the national health system and laying the foundations for a sustainable and equitable UHC by 2030.
He noted that mandatory health insurance now covers around 88 percent of the population, integrating more than 22 million new beneficiaries, including self-employed workers and vulnerable groups.
The minister stressed that the Royal project on social protection goes beyond granting new rights, as it also requires building a more robust and deeply restructured health system. In line with the High Directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the expansion of social coverage must necessarily be accompanied by a profound transformation in the organization and delivery of care, he said.
In this context, Mr. Tehraoui explained that Morocco has undertaken an ambitious overhaul of the national health system, structured around four strategic pillars.
The first pillar focuses on strengthening governance, illustrated by the creation of new institutions and a clearer distribution of responsibilities at national and territorial levels to bring public decision-making closer to the real needs of citizens.
The second pillar involves upgrading the healthcare offer, notably through the modernization of university and regional hospitals, the rehabilitation of primary health centers and the improvement of territorial equity in access to essential services.
He also emphasized the central role of human resources, the third pillar of the reform, highlighting the importance of increasing training capacity, revising curricula to meet current needs and improving working conditions to retain and motivate health professionals.
The fourth pillar concerns digital transformation, with the implementation of an integrated information system and a Shared Patient File, essential tools to ensure continuous follow-up and support better planning and decision-making.
These structural reforms have created an environment conducive to the development of new partnerships, the minister added.
On financing, Mr. Tehraoui recalled that national spending dedicated to the health sector has risen steadily in recent years, contributing to better health indicators and reducing the direct financial burden on households.
He noted that the budget of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection has more than quadrupled between 2010 and 2026 to reach 42.4 billion dirhams and 8.8 percent of the State’s general budget, reflecting the “government’s firm commitment to supporting the reforms underway”.
Mr. Tehraoui stressed, however, that the challenge also lies in improving spending efficiency and preserving the financial sustainability of the system. He highlighted three major priorities in this regard: preserving the financial integrity of mandatory health insurance schemes, maintaining strong State support for vulnerable populations and rationalizing medical costs through strengthened prevention, promotion of primary care and the proximity of first-line services.
On international cooperation, Mr. Tehraoui reaffirmed that Morocco remains fully committed to playing its role as a leading country for UHC in Africa, particularly through South-South cooperation. The Kingdom shares its experience in health financing, social protection and human resources development to help African countries build more robust, equitable and resilient health systems.
Morocco’s participation in the High-Level Forum on UHC is part of the international initiative to develop National Health Pacts. The Kingdom is among the 21 countries engaged in this process, which includes the adoption of specific indicators to monitor progress toward UHC.
In this regard, Mr. Tehraoui reiterated Morocco’s commitment to implementing its National Health Pact through concrete actions aimed at reducing financial barriers, modernizing infrastructure, investing in human resources and mobilizing innovation and private investment across the health value chain.
The roundtable also brought together Elijah Julaki Muchima, Zambia’s Minister of Health, and Ratu Atonio Rabici Lalabalavu, Minister for Health and Medical Services of Fiji, along with representatives from the private sector and international financial institutions.
Co-organized by the Government of Japan, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank Group, this high-level forum serves as a strategic dialogue platform for Health and Finance Ministers to advance UHC through innovative approaches to reform and financing.
Editorial team/le7tv