Heba Press
Today, Friday in Rabat, an exchange of memoranda and a loan agreement worth 27.76 billion Japanese yen (about 1.85 billion dirhams) were signed between Morocco and Japan to finance the development policy program aimed at achieving universal health coverage.
This program, which was signed by the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance in charge of the Budget, Faouzi Lakjaa, the Japanese Ambassador to Morocco, Kuramitsu Hideaki, and the Resident Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in Morocco, Kawabata Tomoyuki, in the presence of the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khaled Ait Taleb, aims to accelerate the pace of progress towards achieving universal health coverage in Morocco.
This is linked to improving the quality of maternal and child health services, improving nutrition, especially in rural areas, and improving financial protection in the health sector, which contributes to strengthening economic stability and supporting the Kingdom’s development efforts.
In his speech on this occasion, Lakjaa stressed that the agreement signed today reflects the strength and exemplary nature of the historical relations linking Morocco with Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
In this regard, he recalled that some forty development projects, including major sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture and ports, bring the two countries closer together, strengthening their sustainable and fruitful cooperation.
Furthermore, Lakjaa indicated that this agreement is of particular importance, as it provides financial support for a major reform process that is in line with the priorities of the government’s agenda.
For his part, Ait Talib indicated that the signing of this agreement came at the right time, reaffirming the firm commitment of the ministry to deploy all necessary efforts to achieve the desired objectives.
For his part, Kuramitsu stressed that the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Morocco have agreed on a set of policies in the field of health that constitute the object of this loan, including in particular the universalization of universal health coverage and improving the quality of services related to maternal and child health and nutrition.
For his part, Kawabata stressed that the Japan International Cooperation Agency will spare no effort to support the Ministry of Health and Welfare in implementing the measures set out in this program and thus contribute to achieving the goals envisaged within the framework of the royal workshops.
The development policy agenda to achieve universal health coverage is fully in line with the reference frameworks and strategies of the health sector, in particular the Health Plan 2025, and Framework Law No. 09.21 on social protection, in addition to the main axes of the new development model, in particular the second axis, “Guaranteeing access to quality health services”, “Quality and protection of health as fundamental rights of citizens”, and the third axis, “Ensuring a solid foundation for social protection that strengthens inclusion and resilience and embodies solidarity among citizens”. citizens” and its specific objectives for 2035.
