Rabat: The Ministry of Health and Social Protection launched the 2030 Mental Health Plan on Thursday in Rabat, a national reference framework aimed at strengthening access to mental health services, improving the quality of care, and promoting related services.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, this plan, launched during a meeting chaired by the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amine Tehraoui, marks a new stage in national public health policy with the objective of promoting mental health and preventing mental disorders, while supporting rehabilitation and social reintegration.
By 2030, the plan aims to significantly strengthen mental health care capacities by increasing the number of beds from 2,466 to approximately 4,728, the number of psychiatric hospitals from 10 to 17 facilities, and intermediate structures from 4 to 24, in order to ensure mental health service provision across all regions of the Kingdom.
On this occasion, Tehraoui emphasized that investing in mental health is an investment in human capital, social cohesion, and the dignity of every individual, noting that it is no longer possible to consider mental health a subsidiary issue, but rather one of the essential conditions for the success of social and development projects.
The minister indicated that this strategy is based on several major transformations, notably early intervention and lifelong prevention that take into account the specificities related to vulnerability and support for aging. It also aims to reposition mental health at the heart of the national health system, so that every person can receive care close to their place of residence and in a timely manner, he noted.
The result of broad consultation, this territorially-dimensioned plan reflects a cross-sectoral policy in harmony with all public policies, the minister noted, adding that regarding the implementation of this plan, the year 2026 will be marked by the launch of structural reforms, while subsequent years will allow its implementation to be expanded across all territories. The year 2030, meanwhile, will be the deadline to take stock of the actual changes brought about in citizens’ lives, he continued.
For his part, the Deputy President of the Lalla Oumkeltoum Foundation for Mental Health, Abderrazak Ouanas, praised the High Royal Solicitude enjoyed by people in situations of mental vulnerability, stating that the presidency of the Foundation by Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Oumkeltoum is an illustration of an enlightened Royal vision that elevates mental health to the rank of national priorities in the health sector.
The effective implementation of this plan, which constitutes a structured and ambitious response to a human and societal imperative, requires the mobilization and pooling of efforts of all stakeholders involved, he noted, recalling that mental health represents an essential determinant of public health and social cohesion. In this regard, Ouanas reaffirmed the Lalla Oumkeltoum Foundation for Mental Health’s commitment to this national dynamic and its determination to make its full institutional contribution to the success of this plan, which inaugurates a new era of mental health promotion in accordance with the High Royal Solicitude.
For her part, Awatef Belakhel of the World Health Organization (WHO) Office in Morocco indicated that this plan reflects a human vision focused on strengthening human rights, fighting social stigma, and ensuring adequate conditions in terms of support and guidance. Mental health, she continued, is indeed a fundamental right, an essential condition for individual and collective development, and an indispensable pillar of universal health coverage.
In turn, Fadoua Rahhaoui from the Non-Communicable Diseases Division at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection reviewed the main strategic axes of this plan, as well as the projects capable of achieving short- and medium-term results. Rahhaoui specified in this regard that these projects relate notably to the construction and upgrading of infrastructure dedicated to mental health, the strengthening of initial and continuous training, the development of new skills, and the modernization of the legislative framework.
The plan places particular importance on strengthening human resources by increasing the number of psychologists in the public sector from 32 to 786, the training capacities for psychiatrists from 36 to 124 per year, and those for specialized mental health nurses from 490 to 750 annually, as well as establishing a legal framework governing the psychology profession.
Similarly, the implementation of the 2030 Mental Health Plan will benefit from financing of nearly 4 billion dirhams, intended to support the execution of the various programmed measures and actions. Furthermore, it plans to bring services closer to citizens by strengthening the role of primary health care and intermediate structures, ensuring better coordination with hospital and specialized facilities, and establishing a territorial organization adapted to the needs of the populations.
The 2030 Mental Health Plan was developed by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection through an approach involving 13 ministerial departments and various relevant stakeholders, with the support of the WHO. It revolves around three strategic axes and four framework conditions, broken down into 86 actions and measures.