Policy Analysis of Sustainable Pharmaceutical Strategies in Morocco: A Southern African Perspective,

Ensuring sustainable access to essential medicines is a critical policy challenge in Africa. Morocco has implemented various pharmaceutical strategies aimed at enhancing medicine security. Analysing these policies from a Southern African perspective offers insights for cross-regional learning within the continent. This policy analysis critically examines Morocco's pharmaceutical strategies, assessing their design, implementation, and sustainability. Its objective is to identify transferable lessons that could inform sustainable medicine access strategies in Southern Africa. The study employs a qualitative document analysis of key policy documents, legislation, and national strategic plans. A comparative policy analysis framework evaluates policy coherence, financing mechanisms, and supply chain resilience against principles of sustainable pharmaceutical management. The analysis identified a strategic focus on localisation, through mandatory generic substitution and incentives for local production. Policies promoting competitive tendering and pooled procurement substantially reduced medicine procurement costs. However, challenges persist in equitable rural distribution and supply chain fragility. Morocco's pharmaceutical policy demonstrates a multi-faceted approach to sustainability, with successes in cost containment and industrial development. The experience underscores the importance of integrated strategies combining regulation, industrial policy, and procurement efficiency. Southern African policymakers should consider adapting Morocco's model of structured generic promotion and local production incentives. Strengthening regional pooled procurement mechanisms and investing in robust pharmaceutical logistics information systems is also advised. Pharmaceutical policy, Medicine access, Sustainability, Morocco, Southern Africa, Generic medicines, Local production, Policy transfer This analysis provides a structured, cross-regional examination of pharmaceutical policy, offering a practical framework for Southern African stakeholders to critically assess and adapt strategies for sustainable medicine access.