Moroccan Ministries Pen Deal to Stimulate Medical Manufacturing

Rabat - Ryad Mezzour, minister of Trade and Manufacturing; Khalid Aytalib, minister of Health and Social Security; and Mohamed Elmanjra, president of the Moroccan Association for Health Groups signed, on December 28, a joint protocol to enhance Morocco’s medical device manufacturing capacity and boost national supply.

Rabat – Ryad Mezzour, minister of Trade and Manufacturing; Khalid Aytalib, minister of Health and Social Security; and Mohamed Elmanjra, president of the Moroccan Association for Health Groups signed, on December 28, a joint protocol to enhance Morocco’s medical device manufacturing capacity and boost national supply.

The agreement calls for the Ministry of Trade and Manufacturing to create special programs to fund and support innovative business initiatives in the medical field.

In addition to supporting new business ventures, the protocol supports existing medical device suppliers to strengthen their foothold in national and international markets.

In accordance with the protocol, the Moroccan Association for Health Groups (AMGS) pledged to support innovation in the field by providing the necessary research infrastructure. The government entity also pledged to encourage its members to use Moroccan-made medical devices.

The protocol includes plans to create an international network of Moroccan medical device suppliers, distributors, and eventually customers.

The Ministry of Health of Social Security committed to partnering with the Moroccan Institute for Standardization to regulate Pharmaceutical products with the ‘Made in Morocco’ label.

“The ministry is sparing no effort to support national manufacturing to stimulate job creation and boost exports. Medical devices have significant export returns, reaching 90% of transactions within the sector, and thanks to the Medical Competitiveness and Innovation Pole, local manufacturing of medical devices has the potential to become a major sub-sector with the Moroccan industry,” asserted Mezzour.

The measure is in line with Morocco’s New Development Model (NDM), a body of recommendations drafted by the Higher Commission of Planning. Over the past year, Morocco took several steps towards implementing the model, starting with education reforms with the aim to rebrand vocational training and encourage young people to opt for market-oriented education.

In addition to education, the NDM includes recommendations to expand and reform healthcare and the social safety net.