Casablanca: HRH Princess Lalla Asmae Chairs Launching Ceremony of National Program of Neonatal Screening for Deafness
On this occasion, HRH Princess Lalla Asmae followed a presentation on the NASMAA program, delivered by the head of the program and treasurer of the Foundation, Karim Essakalli.
Essakalli stressed that hearing screening is an essential tool for the early detection of deafness in infants, noting that it can help improve their social and academic development, reduce health care costs and provide parents with peace of mind.
He highlighted the personal involvement of His Royal Highness in the national program of neonatal screening for deafness, which strengthens this initiative and encourages the participation of all stakeholders, noting that the Lalla Asmae Foundation for deaf children will set up a center for diagnosis and rehabilitation of hearing in Casablanca, which will certainly be duplicated in all regions of the Kingdom.
His Royal Highness then followed a presentation of the national program of neonatal screening for deafness by the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khalid Ait Taleb.
Ait Taleb emphasized that based on the royal directives for an overhaul of the national health system and also on the recommendations of the general report of the new development model which promotes the implementation of a policy of prevention and health promotion, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection has proceeded, in accordance with the commitments with the Lalla Asmae Foundation for Deaf Children, to the institutionalization of a national health program relating to the screening and management of neonatal deafness in October 2022.
Two pilot regions had benefited from this continuing education program. They were provided with the necessary equipment for an amount of about 4 million dirhams, he continued, noting that the national program is based on guiding principles, namely universality in the context of the generalization of basic medical coverage, the interest of the child through the strengthening of the rights of the child, quality through the capacitation of human resources and the adoption of good medical practices, equity by allowing all newborns to access the screening and solidarity by pooling the efforts of all actors.
The strategic vision of the national program is to invest in human capital through the neonatal screening of congenital deafness, noted Mr. Ait Taleb, noting that the program has set as its objective the screening, early diagnosis and appropriate management to eliminate this sensory disability.
On this occasion, His Royal Highness presided over the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding and two conventions. The memorandum of understanding is related to the prevention and early management of deafness among newborns in the Casablanca-Settat region.
The first part of the protocol involves the financing by the Council of the Casablanca-Settat region of the equipment of 21 maternity hospitals in the region with acoustic otoemission devices for neonatal screening of deafness, as well as the training of medical staff who will use them (midwives, pediatricians, gynecologists, nurses), while the second part consists in the establishment of a center for diagnosis and rehabilitation of hearing in Casablanca (CDRA) by the Lalla Asmae Foundation
The protocol was signed by the director of the Lalla Asmae Foundation for deaf children, El Abbes Bouhlal, the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khalid Ait Taleb, the Wali of the region of Casablanca-Settat, chairman of the regional committee for human development, Said Ahmidouche and the president of the Council of the region Casablanca-Settat, Abdellatif Maâzouz.
The first agreement is related to the financial and administrative support of the international projects of the Lalla Asmae Foundation for deaf children. It was signed by the director of the Lalla Asmae Foundation for Deaf Children, El Abbes Bouhlal, and the director general of the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), Mohamed Methqal.
The second agreement concerns the partial reimbursement of cochlear implants by health insurance. Involving a collaboration between the Lalla Asmae Foundation for deaf children and the CNSS, the convention is related to the assumption of responsibility for medical devices related to deafness for the benefit of deaf children, beneficiaries of the Mandatory Health Insurance (AMO).
Signed by the director of the Lalla Asmae Foundation for deaf children, El Abbes Bouhlal and the director general of the CNSS, Hassan Boubrik, the agreement provides for the financing by the Foundation only of the part that is not covered by the AMO and could thus increase the number of beneficiaries of its aid.
Thereafter, HRH Princess Lalla Asmae visited the Mother and Child Hospital, Abderrahim Harouchi dedicated to the screening of a newborn without risk by the midwife, the screening of deafness in a newborn at risk by the pediatrician and the confirmation of deafness in a baby at risk by the ENT.
Her Royal Highness also visited the room dedicated to severe deafness in a baby, requiring a cochlear implant at 12 months and moderate deafness in a baby requiring a hearing aid.
On her arrival, HRH Princess Lalla Asmae reviewed a section of the Auxiliary Forces that was performing the honors, before being welcomed by the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khalid Ait Taleb, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid and the Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family, Awatif Hayar.
His Royal Highness was also welcomed by the Wali of the region of Casablanca-Settat, Said Ahmidouche, the president of the Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, the governor of the prefecture of Casablanca-Anfa, Aziz Dadas, the president of the prefectural council, Said Naciri, the president of the communal council, Nabila Rmili, the president of the Maârif district, Abdessadek Mourchid, the director general of the CHU “Ibn Rochd”, Pr Hicham Afif, the director of the mother-child hospital, “Abderrahim Harouchi”, Dr Said Salmi, the director of the Lalla Asmae Foundation for deaf children, El Abbes Bouhlal and the members and partners of the Lalla Asmae Foundation for deaf children.
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