Changes in life expectancy
Years
Men
Women
Altogether
1970
52.6
52.8
52.6
1980
55.9
58.8
57.4
1985
62.7
64.2
63.6
1996
66.8
68.4
67.7
2000
71.5
73.4
72.5
2006
74.7
76.8
75.7
2008
74.8
76.4
75.6
2009
74.7
76.3
75.5
2010
75.6
77.0
76.3
2011
76.0
77.3
76.7
281. Health Programmes: The hierarchical organization of the national health system around
the health sector as the basic public service entity was confirmed by the launch of national health
programmes in the 1970s, including those related to combating endemic and epidemic diseases
and the promotion of maternal and child health. It should be pointed out that a national
programme was launched in 1974 for maternal and child protection and the National
Programme for Combating Infant Mortality (1985) consisting of eight sub-programmes,
which include inter alia, “child spacing” and the expanded programme on immunization.
282. The resultant effect was a significant improvement in access to health by the population in the
rural areas as reflected in the national indicators where very significant achievements have been
recorded in the last two decades.
283. The adoption of the national programme for the control of population growth (1983) and
the emergence of the government’s population policy from the beginning of the 1990s also resulted
in accelerated population transition (in the middle of the 1990s) driven by concurrent factors related
to economic and social development of the country and the drastic decline in the fertility of women
as a result of the dissemination of modern contraceptives among couples and the increase in the
marriage age. The midwife is competent to deal with all acts and products relating to
maternal and child health including contraceptive s. All these cases and contraceptives
are provided free of charge in the public sector and reimbursed fully (100%) when
such services are delivered by the private sector .
Child Health: Trends in Child Mortality Rates (CMR): (P. 1 000)
1990
57.8
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
36.9
37.5
34.7
32.5
30.4
30.4
26.9
26.2
25.5
24.8
23.7
23.1
284. Nine national programmes specifically target early childhood. Expanded Programme on
Immunization (EPI), acute respiratory infections (ARI), diarrheal diseases, acute rheumatic fever
(ARF), nutrition, domestic accidents, trachoma and cerebrospinal meningitis.
285. The overall objectives are to reduce serious forms of diseases, their complications and more
especially mortality associated with these diseases. With regard to Expanded Programme on
Immunization (EPI), the main objectives are: the eradication of poliomyelitis and measles,
diphtheria and neonatal tetanus. The rate of immunization coverage and all types of vaccines
has reached 88 %. It attained 98% for BCG and 96% for DTCP, then 92 % for anti-measles and
82 % for vaccination against Hepatitis B (introduced in 2003).
47