Nearly half of Moroccans want the government to guarantee health care, even if taxes rise

Nearly half of Moroccan respondents (48%) say the government should ensure adequate health care for all, even if it means raising taxes, according to a recent Afrobarometer survey covering 38 African nations in 2024 and 2025.

The poll, titled “Africa’s Health Systems Amid Global Aid Contraction,” showed, however, that support is stronger across the continent, averaging 70%, with Gabon and Senegal reaching as high as 89% and 88%, respectively.

On the other hand, around 37% of Moroccans strongly oppose the government providing health care for all, even if it means higher taxes, compared with just 11% in Gabon and Senegal.

Almost all sampled urban residents in Morocco (100%) live within walking distance of a health clinic, compared with 25% in Angola and 16% in Sao Tome and Principe.

In rural areas, 65% of Moroccans have a nearby clinic, well above the continental average of 44% and higher than Tunisia at 27%, Senegal at 54%, and South Africa at 31%.

The findings also showed that 52% of Moroccans found it difficult to obtain the medical care they needed, slightly above the continental average of 51%.

Difficulty is even higher in Chad at 78% and Gambia at 72%, while it is much lower in Mauritius at 21% and Lesotho at 26%.

As to public clinics and hospitals, 81% of Moroccans said they had experienced a lack of medicines or other supplies in the past 12 months, compared with just 32% in Mali and 38% in Seychelles.

Also, 95% of Moroccans said they experienced long waiting times at public clinics or hospitals over the past year, well above the continental average of 79%, placing the country first on the list.

The situation is different in Benin and Mali, where 63% and 44%, respectively, reported the same problem.

Also, over half of Moroccans said they had gone without medical care, compared with 89% in Chad and only 13% in Seychelles.