The North African countries are reforming and modernising their health care sectors, offering excellent opportunities for suppliers of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.

In Morocco for instance, expenses of the health sector amount to US$ 2.5 billion annually. In order to ensure the solid financing of the health services, the general obligatory insurance (Assurance Maladie Obligatoire AMO) is being introduced since 2005.

With investments of US$ 2 billion, Algeria’s health care development program 2010 – 2014 envisages the construction of new hospitals and health care centres.

In the study “Strategy 2008-2012”, the Moroccan ministry of health has clearly defined its target to guarantee efficient and high quality health services for every citizen. The investment program of the government foresees the modernisation of existing hospitals, the reopening of clinics, which had temporarily been closed and the establishment of centres for medical emergency. In addition, regional and national specialised clinics are to be established with high tech equipment, for instance for oncology, burns, treatment of pain and eye complaints. The upgrading of the university clinics of Fes and Marrakech are in the pipeline as well as the erection of a new university clinic in the North-East of the country.

As the Maghreb countries completely rely on imports, studies confirm staggering growth of medical technology and pharmaceuticals’ imports in recent years.

 

Imports of medical technology and pharmaceutical products to Morocco

According to a survey compiled for fairtrade and Salon de la Santé 2009 by AHK - The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Morocco, Moroccan imports of medical technology for the very first time topped the EUR 70 million mark in 2008 with EUR 70, 990 million, after EUR 63,864 million in 2007. As the market entry is quite simple, many international players are represented. Main suppliers with 18% market share are Germany and the USA, followed by France with 17%, China (9%), Japan (7%) and Italy (5%). Estimations foresee an annual growth of medtec imports by more than 10%.

Imports of medical technology*

in EURO		2007		2008
Morocco		63.864.635		70.990.618
Algeria		110.680.995		161.240.022
Tunesia		78.748.810		93.426.046

 

Imports of pharmaceutical products*

in EURO		2007		2008
Morocco		237.683.812		260.073.340
Algeria		1.124.045.956		1.585.140.771
Tunesia		263.912.293		299.288.022

* Source: Market Research from AHK Casablanca, February 2009
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