Rabat – Princess Lalla Meryem, chairperson of the National Observatory for Children Rights (ONDE), led the children’s vaccination operation and ceremony to present findings from the operation’s 30-year history in Marrakech on Wednesday.
Dr. Khalid Lahlou, director of population at the health ministry, provided Lalla Meryem with the ministry’s results from 30 years of action under the national and regional children’s immunization program.
Dr. Mohamed Benazzouz, an official with the national immunization program, also provided the princess with an analysis of the national vaccination schedule and program aims.
Regional Health Director Khalid Zenjari presented Her Royal Highness with a regional breakdown of vaccination data.
Afterwards, Lalla Meryem supervised the children’s vaccination operation and vaccinated a newborn against hepatitis B.
Morocco is celebrating 30 years of implementing the national immunization program under the slogan “30 Years in Serving Children Vaccination Right.”
Since the national immunization program was institutionalized in 1987, huge progress has been made in the health sector thanks to vaccines, especially against poliomyelitis and diphtheria; no cases of either disease have been reported since 1987 and 1991, respectively.
In 2002, Morocco was certified by WHO/EMRO after eradicating neonatal tetanus under the WHO definition; meningitis cases have decreased by more than 85% since the introduction of the Haemophilus Influenza Type B vaccine in 2007.
Immunization also contributed to reducing infant and child mortality, which has decreased by 95% for tetanus, 84% for measles, and 86% for whooping cough in children aged under a year.
