Assahafa.com
Minister of Health and Social Protection Amine Tehraoui highlighted on Friday in Addis Ababa, Morocco’s pioneering experience in expanding social protection and reforming the healthcare system.
Speaking at the High-Level Dialogue on Finance and Health, jointly organized by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), the minister stressed that financing the health sector ranks among Morocco’s top national priorities. Tehraoui noted that the Ministry’s budget has increased from nearly $2 billion in 2021 (approximately MAD 19.7 billion) to more than $4 billion in 2026 (MAD 42.4 billion).
Held on the sidelines of the 39th African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government on February 14 – 15 at the AU headquarters, the Forum provided an opportunity for Tehraoui to underline that this budget increase reflects a strong political commitment to transforming the health system. The challenge, he said, lies not only in increasing spending, but also in improving efficiency and ensuring long-term sustainability.
The minister also pointed to the paradigm shift initiated by the Kingdom, moving from a cost-based financing model to an approach where social protection serves as the structuring driver of health financing. In this framework, the financial architecture, healthcare provision and the expenditure management are designed to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the system.
Welcoming the dialogue as a political milestone rather than a purely technical discussion, the minister stressed the need to align policy choices, funding decisions, and partnerships to build strong, autonomous and resilient African health systems.
Tehraoui’s participation enabled in-depth exchanges with his African counterparts and the international financial institutions leaders on mechanisms for mobilizing the resources required to fund health sovereignty. This engagement aligns with the enlightened vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, which advocates reinforcing continental health sovereignty and building resilient and autonomous African systems.
This High-Level Dialogue is taking place in a continental context marked by growing financing challenges and the need for large-scale mobilization. It aims to bring about a profound transformation in the approach to health management in Africa, moving from a social expenditure logic to a vision of strategic investment that generates growth and stability.
Source: map
