Electronic science – by Anas Al-Sha’ra
Last March of this year, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection announced that it had registered 30,355 cases undergoing treatment for tuberculosis, most of which are concentrated in six regions across the Kingdom: Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kenitra, and Tangier-Tetouan. Al-Hoceima, Fez-Meknes, and finally Marrakech-Safi and Souss-Massa, and the number of victims of this disease reaches 3000 cases annually. Despite the efforts made within the framework of the national program to eradicate tuberculosis by 2030, the features of eliminating this disease are still far away, as it has not made much progress within the framework of the program. In the year 2020, 28,000 cases were recorded, while in the past year, 30,000 cases, which means that health public policies aimed at eliminating this disease are still far from their ruling goals, after the development of the national program.
There are several factors that contribute to this disease, the first of which is poverty and fragility, as most of the infected people belong to the poor and vulnerable classes. , which makes them more susceptible to infection and contribute to the acceleration of its spread, without their awareness.
On the other hand, the health sector in Morocco knows the spread of suspicious behaviors, related to the practice of bribery, nepotism and clientelism within the health system, which was expressed in the trust index report issued by the Moroccan Center for Policy Analysis in 2022, as it confirmed that 87 percent of the respondents in the report, that Bribery is widespread in the public health sector, and perhaps this explains why this group cannot receive the necessary treatments related to this disease or others. In addition, health services are experiencing a disturbing and confusing decline at the same time, as it is represented by the lack of medical resources and medicines necessary to treat and combat this disease. And the weakness of the health system, which could lead to neglecting the early detection of tuberculosis cases and not providing the necessary treatment in a timely manner.
There are also other factors, no less dangerous than the health worker, represented in the lack of awareness and health education about tuberculosis and how to prevent it. The limited awareness about the symptoms and ways of transmission of tuberculosis is a direct factor in its spread among most groups of society.
Eliminating tuberculosis, or reducing its severity, requires a comprehensive communicative health strategy, based on the mental structures of society, and understanding the habits and behaviors of people in curing diseases, as many people resort to folk remedies, such as botanical herbs, magic, sorcery, or popular spells. They are all socially common habits in the fight against this disease, among a wide segment of society, and therefore; The Ministry is called upon to develop an accurate health policy that monitors the complex reasons and causes for this. It is noted that there is an almost total absence of a comprehensive communication strategy in the Ministry’s agenda, and despite the campaigns it carries out from time to time, it requires a comprehensive awareness to prepare a national communication strategic plan. To raise awareness and awareness of the seriousness of the disease, by investing digital mechanisms and intensifying field medical campaigns in schools and neighborhoods, and in areas where the disease is concentrated. Moroccan health.