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Amine Tahraoui has been confirmed as Morocco’s new Health Minister in replacement of Khalid Ait Telb.
A government reshuffle confirmed the news today, with King Mohammed VI receiving in Rabat the new ministers as well as those who retained their positions.
Tahraoui, who replaced Ait Taleb, previously served as the second-in-command at Aksal, reports said.
He also served in several other positions, including CEO at Amazzine, which is in charge of developing shopping centers for Salwa Akhannouch, the wife of Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch.
Reports indicate that the new health minister has long-standing ties with Akhannouch.
He also served at the Ministry of Agriculture when Akhannouch was the head of that department.
He started his career in investment banking at Attijari Finances Corp.
The health sector, much like the Ministry of Education, has been grappling with several challenges, including a significant shortage of healthcare workers.
The deficiency has been compounded by several other issues highlighted in many recent reports, including inadequate facilities and lack of resources like equipment.
In December last year, a report from the Royal Institute for Strategic Studies (IRES) said that the number of health workers per 1,000 per capita stood at 1.64 as of the end of 2021, significantly below the 4.45 minimum necessary to reach sustainable development goals set by the United Nations (UN).
Although overall health spending as a percentage of GDP has been increasing continuously over the last two decades, it remains insufficient, the report said.
The National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) highlighted similar concerns in a 2022 report, criticizing the inequity of human resource distribution around the country, as some areas – particularly rural ones – suffer from shortages more than others.
CNDH said the biggest challenge in the sector is the cost that Moroccan families face when seeking treatment, with 50 to 63% of the costs usually falling on the shoulders of patients.
“The council stresses that healthcare must be dealt with as an investment for the nation’s security and prosperity,” the report noted.
