"As soon as Europe was designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the epicenter of the pandemic, the Kingdom, under the far-sighted leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, adopted a series of urgent precautionary and preventive measures and arrangements to halt the spread of this pandemic by giving priority to the health of citizens," said Ait Taleb, who was speaking by videoconference during this session held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The national effort to fight the pandemic, he explained, is mainly based on three aspects, namely health, the economy and social peace, highlighting the support of public institutions, private sectors and civil society actors in this effort to counter the pandemic.

The measures taken in this direction concern the suspension of international flights, the closure of public places, the cancellation of large gatherings, the encouragement of home confinement and then compulsory health confinement and the creation of a fund dedicated to the management of the epidemic, he recalled.

 With regard to the health sector, said the minister, priority has been given to the consolidation of basic infrastructure, the strengthening of the health offer, the creation of a steering committee for the crisis, the strengthening of health care, as well as the implementation of therapeutic strategies and the adoption of a communication plan ensuring the dissemination of daily reports on the evolution of the disease and preventive measures.

Ait Taleb said that the lifting of the health confinement is dependent on the stability of the epidemiological situation in the Kingdom. He further stated that the management of this pandemic can only succeed by ensuring comprehensive access to diagnostic devices and treatments at reasonable prices for all.

 Regarding the African initiative proposed by HM King Mohammed VI, he noted that it provides a practical framework for pooling efforts and resources through the sharing of experiences and good practices.

 The minister also considered it essential to support the leadership and role of the WHO and its director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in the management of this pandemic, advocating for the commitment of all to eradicate this pandemic.