"This priority has always been at the heart of the partnership between the Bank and Morocco. It is embodied in the projects that have helped strengthen the capacity of the health system and further expand health coverage," Mokaddem told MAP.

 These are two dimensions that are particularly important in times of crisis, she said, noting that by the end of 2019, the Bank had "provided nearly $204 million to expand social protection, especially for people with disabilities as well as vulnerable children and women."

 "Social coverage is obviously a major concern that drives our action in the short, medium and long terms. Our efforts are converging towards the establishment of a social protection floor. Since 2005, the year we launched reforms in the health sector, we have mobilized over $360 million to finance the three phases of the program to support the reform of health coverage," noted Mokaddem.

 The AfDB has consolidated its interventions in this area with the aim of increasing the rate of medical coverage from 62% of the population in 2018 to over 80% in 2023, she said.

This program will allow the construction of a regional hospital in Guelmim and a specialty hospital in Ouarzazate, with a capacity of 140 beds each, said the AfDB representative. 144 units specialized in caring for people with special needs will be created and a hundred rural clinics will have their infrastructure and equipment upgraded.

She also recalled the mobilization of Euro 264 million by the Bank to support Morocco's health response plan against the health crisis related to the pandemic of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) and promote the recovery of the national economy.

"We are supporting the country's health response by helping to increase the number of hospitals authorized to carry out virology screening. In order to support the purchasing power, we are accompanying the government's efforts to help 4.3 million households in the informal sector, as well as 800,000 employees affiliated to the National Social Security Fund (CNSS)," Mokaddem said.

These combined efforts are aimed at preserving jobs and promoting economic recovery. "Through these measures, we expect that 75% of jobs, weakened by the crisis, will be preserved," she concluded.