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Rabat – King Mohammed VI’s vision, based on anticipation, proactivity, and prioritizing citizens’ health, has successfully guided Morocco’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita.
The royal vision calling for cooperation between all ministerial departments and segments of the society was a successful approach in controlling the domestic epidemiological situation, Bourita said during a ministerial conference on the digital response to COVID-19.
The video conference took place on Wednesday, July 1, and brought together officials from 47 different countries.
Bourita also highlighted how Morocco’s digital transformation played a crucial role in the response to COVID-19, since the country quickly deployed its digital infrastructure to meet the challenges of disseminating accurate, timely, and consistent public health messages, leading 99.5% of the Moroccan population to adopt preventive measures on a massive scale.
According to the diplomat, Morocco successfully curbed the domestic “infodemic” even before the country recorded its first COVID-19 cases, “thanks to an effective fight against disinformation, while protecting the rights guaranteed by the Constitution.”
Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security set up a unit specifically dedicated to monitor and investigate the cases of online disinformation, Bourita recalled. The unit has launched over 100 judicial cases against scaremongers.
The Moroccan FM also explained how Morocco was able to continue providing the majority of its public services thanks to digital platforms, most notably in education, the judiciary, and administration.
Moroccan institutions and private companies have also made major efforts to digitize their work and guarantee continuity of their productivity through remote work, Bourita added.
According to the FM, the COVID-19 pandemic poses three interdependent challenges. The first challenge is to curb the outbreaks through enforcing containment measures such as lockdowns and social distance.
The second challenge is to quickly upgrade health systems to care for COVID-19 patients, while maintaining adequate capacity to manage other diseases. Finally, the third challenge is to preserve essential services, including education, sanitation, energy, justice, and security.
Digital tools were crucial to managing the challenges, Bourita concluded, demonstrating the importance of accelerating digital transformation for emergency preparedness and response.
