Morocco Commemorates World Immunization Week and Reaffirms Commitment to Protecting Children’s Health
Morocco is commemorating World Immunization Week from April 21 to 25, as part of its renewed awareness of the role of vaccination as an effective preventive barrier against the spread of viruses and infectious diseases. Additionally, the country is keen on ensuring comprehensive vaccination coverage to protect the health of its citizens, especially children.
Morocco is among the leading countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region in the field of vaccination, providing safe, effective, and free vaccines through all health centers, while continually expanding this coverage and enhancing health infrastructure to guarantee the right to health.
In this context, Dr. Mohammed Benazzouz, head of the Child Health Protection Department and responsible for the National Immunization Program at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, emphasized the ministry’s utmost importance on vaccination. The ministry aims, through the National Immunization Program, to implement effective vaccination policies that include mobilizing resources and ensuring equitable access to vaccines.
Dr. Benazzouz highlighted that vaccination is a fundamental health intervention that helps prevent serious diseases that could lead to disability or death, pointing to efforts made to reduce the spread of measles by strengthening vaccination situation monitoring and implementing effective preventive measures.
Dr. Tayeb Hamdi, a physician and researcher in health policies, noted that Morocco has become a global model in child vaccination, achieving coverage rates exceeding 95% and providing 12 essential vaccines for free, under the proactive vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, which has established vaccination as one of the cornerstones of national health policy, especially given the kingdom’s success in managing the vaccination campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The experts also warned of the challenges associated with the spread of fake news and misleading information, particularly on social media platforms, which necessitates enhancing close communication and developing national and international strategies to combat this phenomenon.
This annual celebration reinforces vaccination as a basic health right and a key element of primary health care, as well as an essential component of national health security. It embodies Morocco’s vision to prioritize public health as a developmental priority and an investment in the future of generations.
