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Morocco World
20-05-2025
- Morocco World
DGSN Open Days: Morocco Displays New Era of Security Tech with Drone Pavilion
Rabat – The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) unveiled a new drone pavilion at the 6th edition of its Open Days event, marking a significant step in the digital transformation of Morocco's security operations. The pavilion, one of the standout features of this year's event, showcases the DGSN's growing reliance on cutting-edge drone technology to enhance field operations, surveillance, and rapid response capabilities. Speaking at the event, Chief Commissioner Mohamed Mrabet, head of division at the DGSN's Directorate of Public Security, said that specialized central brigades have been created to manage drone deployment and piloting. These units support national and international events held across the country, and are composed of trained personnel operating within Morocco's legal framework, including Law No. 09-08 on personal data protection. 'Thanks to their wide-angle view and real-time data, drones help strengthen coordination on the ground and offer strategic support to security operations,' Mrabet stated. Drones are now routinely used in crowd control during major public events, such as sports gatherings, by detecting and tracking behaviors that could disrupt public order. They are also instrumental in monitoring irregular migration routes, particularly in remote or hard-to-reach areas, offering fast and precise surveillance over vast distances. In road safety operations, drones are used to detect dangerous driving behaviors, such as vehicles fleeing police control. Their aerial tracking allows law enforcement to locate suspects and direct field units to intervene according to legal procedures. In urban areas, drones complement traditional patrols by monitoring traffic flow and identifying suspicious activity. This flexible approach contributes to a more efficient allocation of human resources and a stronger security presence. DGSN's investment in drone technology is part of its broader effort to keep pace with global advancements in artificial intelligence, ensuring more targeted, proactive, and rapid responses to security challenges.
Arab News
12-03-2025
- Health
- Arab News
Morocco fights measles outbreak amid vaccine misinformation
RABAT: Authorities in Morocco have been scrambling to contain an outbreak of measles, a contagious and potentially fatal disease that had nearly been eradicated in the kingdom but has rebounded as vaccination rates have fallen. In Harhoura, a small coastal town near Rabat, 13-year-old Salma and her nine-year-old brother, Souhail, sit quietly in a public clinic, waiting for their second shot of measles vaccine. Their grandmother, Rabia Maknouni, said it was after a campaign at school that the family realised they had been missing doses of the vaccine. "We didn't know they hadn't completed their vaccination," she said. "Their parents panicked when they heard about the outbreak." Measles is highly contagious, spreading through respiratory droplets and lingering in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area. The disease causes fever, respiratory symptoms and a rash. In some cases, it also leads to severe complications, including pneumonia, brain inflammation and death. Even though vaccination remains the best protection against the disease, immunisation rates have fallen in recent years. The vaccine hesitancy is driven by misinformation, which has lingered since the Covid-19 pandemic. In Morocco, authorities have scaled up vaccination against measles in recent months in a bid to control the outbreak. More than 10 million schoolchildren have had their immunisation status checked since October last year, said Mourad Mrabet, an official at the National Centre for Public Health Emergencies. Since late 2023, authorities in the North African country have reported more than 25,000 measles cases and 120 deaths, Mrabet said. The outbreak has raised concerns in France, Morocco's former colonial ruler and leading foreign investor and trade partner. The French public health agency has described the epidemic as reaching "historic levels" and urged travellers to check their vaccination status before visiting the kingdom. Moroccan authorities say the number of new infections has been steadily declining in recent weeks. They have promised to continue their vaccination programme until late March with the aim of achieving 95-percent cover, sufficient for herd immunity. But they acknowledge they still have some way to go. The health ministry said only about half of those requiring a booster had received one by early March. In January, government spokesman Mustapha Baitas blamed "false information that fuels public fear of vaccines". Mrabet attributed it to "the influence of the global anti-vax movement". In the United States, growing distrust of public health policy and pharmaceutical companies has contributed to falling vaccination rates. In February, an unvaccinated child died of measles in Texas, where an outbreak has been spreading. And last week, an adult from New Mexico -- which neighbours Texas -- also died from the disease. To tackle misinformation, Moroccan health officials have launched awareness campaigns, including in schools, to explaining the importance of vaccination. The education ministry's head of health programmes, Imane El Kohen, said one of the "deceptive allegations" was the claim that the measles vaccine is a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine. Hasna Anouar, a nurse in Harhoura, has been involved in vaccination status check programmes for years. She said that before the Covid-19 pandemic, there was little resistance to routine childhood immunisations. But now, some parents have developed a "fear of vaccines," she said. "We have to sit down with them and explain why these shots are necessary." Health rights activist Ali Lotfi put the decline in the vaccination rate down to "lockdown and the fear of being contaminated in hospitals". "Afterwards, the health ministry didn't do enough to address the backlog," he said.
