Morocco

Although health coverage in Morocco is theoretically universal, many complain that the public sector delivers very poor service. Key problems, identified by the Health Minister in 2008, include inaccessibility to care in rural areas, problems with emergency treatment, poor cleanliness in public hospitals, cronyism and corruption.

The national health insurance scheme launched in 2005 is expected to provide substantial additional funding for the health sector. Initially aimed at salaried workers, the scheme has been expanded to cover the self-employed. A health insurance scheme for those on very low incomes is still in the early stages of implementation and is now not expected to be rolled out on a national basis until 2010.

Tariff rates are high in Morocco. These are currently around 16% for antibiotics, although vaccines are zero rated. Active ingredients attract even higher tariffs, from 22 to 35%. This may explain why the local pharmaceutical industry has lost market share in recent years to lower cost European imports.