Investing in Women's Health to Drive the Economy

On International Women's Day, it is essential to remember that investing in women's health is not only an ethical imperative, but also a powerful economic lever for Morocco and Africa. In a context where health challenges persist and gender inequalities hinder development, improving women's access to care is a winning strategy at every level.

A Major and Quantifiable Economic Issue

Recent data are unequivocal: every dollar invested in women's health generates a significant economic return. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, "Report on women's health in Africa 2022-2023"), the economic return on investments in women's health in Africa can reach a ratio of 1:9, meaning that every dollar invested can generate up to nine dollars in economic benefits through increased productivity, lower medical expenditure and greater human capital.

The African Union Health Commission (2024, "Economic Benefits of Health Investment with Gender Lens") estimates that economic losses linked to poor women's health in Africa amount to nearly $95 billion annually, or around 6.4% of continental GDP. In Morocco specifically, these losses represent around 2.5% of national GDP, according to the latest World Bank analyses (2024, "Women's Health and Economic Participation in North Africa").

Current Situation in Morocco and Africa

In Morocco, notable progress has been made, but challenges persist:

• The maternal mortality ratio fell by 66% between 2000 and 2022, but remains at 70 per 100,000 live births (Moroccan Ministry of Health, "Assessment of the Health 2025 Plan", 2024)
• 88% of Moroccan women now benefit from basic medical coverage through Compulsory Health Insurance (AMO), following the social protection reform initiated in 2021 (Moroccan Ministry of Health, 2024)
• Rural/urban disparities remain significant, with access to care 2.3 times lower in rural areas (UNFPA, "State of African Women's Health Report", 2023)

Across Africa, the situation reveals even more pronounced disparities:

• Only 52% of African women have access to essential health care (WHO, 2023)
• Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 66% of global maternal deaths (UNFPA, 2023)
• 38% of African women of reproductive age do not have access to modern contraception (The Lancet Global Health, "Investment in women's health in Africa: a pathway to economic growth", 2022)

Levers for Action Toward a Sustainable Approach

To turn these findings into growth levers, several areas of intervention can be considered:

1. Public-private partnerships and innovative financing: Initiatives such as gender-lens investments, already active in North Africa, show that a multifaceted and collaborative approach can meet health needs while generating positive economic returns.
2. Strengthening women's access to care: This includes investing in the training of health workers, modernizing medical infrastructure and promoting universal health coverage systems in order to reduce access inequalities in urban and rural areas.
3. Economic empowerment: Women's empowerment depends on better health. Integrated policies that strengthen maternal and reproductive health can therefore support women's economic inclusion, resulting in higher labor-force participation and narrower wage gaps.

A Strategic Issue for Morocco and Africa

As Morocco rolls out the generalization of Compulsory Health Insurance and restructures its hospital offer, women's health must be placed at the heart of reforms. Aligning public policies, the pharmaceutical sector and health-finance actors around an integrated approach - combining prevention, therapeutic innovation and sustainable financing - represents a strategic opportunity to build more resilient and competitive health systems in Africa.

At a time when Africa is reshaping its development model, women's health should no longer be seen as social expenditure, but as an investment with high economic and societal returns.