WB supports Morocco’s human capital development with $600 Mln funding package

The World Bank has approved a $600 million financing package for the last and third phase of the “Strengthening Human Capital for a Resilient Morocco” program.

The funding aims to enhance Morocco’s resilience to health risks, improve human capital during childhood, reduce poverty among the elderly, and bolster climate risk management, said the WB in a press release issued Thursday.

The first two financing operations, approved in June 2022 and December 2023, supported substantial legislative changes, including generalizing compulsory health insurance and launching a comprehensive social assistance program.

The third operation aims to consolidate these gains by strengthening governance, detailing the implementation of cash transfer and pension schemes, and increasing the effectiveness of disaster risk management.

Morocco is advancing towards Universal Health Coverage by implementing reforms to improve health risk protection through increased health insurance coverage, modernizing health service provision, and ensuring equitable distribution of healthcare workers.

The WB third funding, which aligns with the two previous operations, aims to further enhance Morocco’s social protection system, said Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, Division Director for the Maghreb at the World Bank.

Currently, the Moroccan social protection system is already helping around 75 % of the population to have access to more affordable health care and over 40 % of households to access cash transfers, he added, noting the efforts engaged are designed to make the system more comprehensive, equitable, and efficient, particularly benefiting climate-vulnerable populations.