Morocco’s medical milestones

Some six to eight babies die every day in Morocco because of heart defects and a lack of access to care. The "bonne ouvres du coeur" is a heart institute in Casablanca that offers free operations to those in need. It's the country's biggest centre for paediatric heart surgery.

Thousands of babies are born in Morocco every year needing heart surgery. Sadly only a fraction of their families can afford the life saving operation. Until recently, because of a general lack of resources here many infants were sent abroad for treatment. But in 2001 Dr Said Ejjennane started to work towards changing that. His heart institute welcomes ten children a day from all over the country and from other African nations.  

The centre has carried out over 2000 such surgeries since this centre opened it doors four years ago.  But the skills these doctors possess remain rare in Morocco and many other African nations. This pioneering centre is in monetary debt...but saving lives not money is the goal. 

From that heart-warming, if difficult, subject HEALTH moves to the problem of malnutrition and the efforts being made to eradicate it. A food fortifying factory adds vital vitamins and minerals to four and oil. Some 70% of the country's flour and all of its oil is enriched: it’s part of a project that aims to fulfil the populations’ dietary requirements.  

Globally, it is the underlying cause of death for between 3 and 5 million children under the age of five. Here in Morocco malnutrition is also taking lives the plans have been put in place to fight it are already showing signs of success. 

At Rabat's maternity hospital, Professor Amina Barkat has seen improvements. "There's been a complete change in the types of illnesses that we see. Some 20 years ago there were severe nutritional deficiencies that we just don't find anymore," she confirms.  

But the lack of certain nutrients like folic acid means that some health problems persist.

"A lack of folic acid can hamper embryo formation affecting the brain and the spine in particular.  With women who're deficient in folic acid, the baby will already start to have this malformation around 4 to 6 weeks into the pregnancy, which is before we can even detect it," notes Professor Barkat. 

Malformations that are becoming increasingly rare in the last few years, since Morocco launched its fortifying plan some ten years ago. 

Morocco is making progress when it comes to ending maternal mortality. Two years ago the government launched a new plan to offer free access to hospitals for women giving birth. However an informal system of backhands can still determine the care a woman is given. What’s more there remains a lingering lack of thought for the medical aspect of giving birth. These reasons among others mean that some 1500 women still die while bearing life every year.