A video posted on social media this week sparked concerns about a measles outbreak in the Chichaoua region. Local rights groups criticized the region's inadequate health infrastructure to handle the situation, which they described as «catastrophic». In a video that went viral in recent days in Morocco, children infected with measles, known locally as «Bouhamroun», have been shown bedridden in Ait Haddou Youssef, a town and rural commune in Chichaoua Province of the Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz region. In the video, a woman appeals to the king for intervention, highlighting what she calls an «outbreak» of the disease in several areas of the region. «Look at us; we don't even have a hospital in Ait Haddou Youssef», denounced the woman in Tamazight. Amine Ait Mansour, president of the Federation of Saksaoua Associations, confirmed this. His federation has already highlighted the issue and issued statements to alert the public about the situation in the region. According to Ait Mansour, following the video's circulation, authorities sent an ambulance to transport two children to Mohammed VI Hospital in Marrakech. Unfortunately, «one of the children, aged 10, died at the health center last Tuesday, while his brother remains in intensive care». «Their mother had also died a week earlier from the same disease», according to the human rights activist. Insufficient infrastructure amid measles cases The Federation's data indicates that the number of deaths in the region has reached seven so far, including six children and one woman. However, the regional delegation of the Ministry of Health in Chichaoua reported only one case, asserting that «the rest of the patients are recovering». Amine Ait Mansour claimed that while the delegation acknowledged the recent death of a child, the «true number of fatalities in Chichaoua is seven, with the first case detected in December 2023 at a student residence in Ait Moussa». He noted that «when symptoms of the disease appear, educational institutions often send students home without proper medical examination. At home, families may only use herbal remedies, some of which are ineffective, leading to fatalities». The Federation, comprising 30 associations, has found that «many families do not adhere to the vaccination program not out of choice but due to various constraints». Mothers «sometimes travel long distances, walking for 10 kilometers to hospitals only to find that vaccines are unavailable, leading them to abandon vaccination efforts despite its importance». The Federation also criticized the regional delegation of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in Chichaoua «for not implementing necessary field measures and vaccination campaigns». In the absence of the necessary field measures and vaccination campaigns, in addition to the «deaf ears policy pursued by the regional delegation of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in Chichaoua», the human rights organization expressed its fear of the emergence of other diseases, «which we want to avoid so that we do not fall into a disaster». «The region is suffering from discrimination. Why were health workers mobilized during the COVID-19 outbreak, unlike the treatment of this disease? Is it because the pandemic affected only one rural area in Morocco?» asked Amine Ait Mansour. The activist denounced the continued closure of health centers under reconstruction. «They were all closed, and despite the completion of the works, they are still closed. We do not know the reason behind this, and some villages are still receiving treatments in tents, and in the Sidi Ghanem area, in a garage», he argued. The head of the Federation also revealed that the commune of Lala Aziza in Chichaoua has been without a head doctor for 15 years. «The health center has only one or two nurses, who refer patients to Chichaoua and then to Mohammed VI Hospital in Marrakech, which discourages families from traveling due to the high cost, leading them to rely on herbal remedies». After the video caused an uproar, members of the health delegation visited the area last week. «They only went to one village and vaccinated 100 children», said Amine Ait Mansour. «They justified their absence by health workers' strikes», he lamented. In response to the situation, the Federation plans to organize a protest, though no date has been set. «We have received promises from the authorities that the situation will improve, with children being vaccinated and medicine provided. If these promises are fulfilled and we see tangible improvements, we will reconsider our actions. Otherwise, we will take further steps», Ait Mansour concluded.
