Princess Lalla Asmaa, President of the Lalla Asmaa Foundation, presided over the first Patient Day for deaf people on Tuesday, June 16, in Rabat.
The landmark event was highlighted by the official launch of the “Hearing Aids for All” programme, which closely aligns with the national “NASMAA” initiative and the international “United: We Hear Each Other Better” program. Reflecting King Mohammed VI’s deep commitment to the education, health, integration, and well-being of deaf and hard-of-hearing children, the day began with a royal visit to the Rabat Specialties Hospital. During the visit, Princess Lalla Asmaa met with Moroccan, Palestinian, and other African children who had recently undergone cochlear implant surgery. A total of 56 children, accompanied by their families, were welcomed to Rabat for cochlear and bone-anchored cochlear implants as part of the broader international solidarity initiative.
During the event, Princess Lalla Asmaa received a technical briefing on the advanced bone-anchored cochlear implant technique, which utilizes active piezoelectric technology to benefit children for whom conventional cochlear implants are ineffective. She then toured the cochlear implant fitting room, where more than 100 children have already received implants under the national “NASMAA” program. These fittings are enhanced by the innovative new “ConnectCare” system, developed by the Lalla Asmaa Foundation, which enables healthcare professionals to make real-time adjustments remotely via a secure connection.
The newly introduced national program, “Hearing Aids for All,” specifically aims to make hearing devices entirely free and accessible to the most disadvantaged citizens across Morocco. Functioning as a direct manifestation of the King’s vision of a society built on equal opportunities, this program significantly extends the Foundation’s mandate beyond complex cochlear implants to encompass all forms of deafness and hearing loss.
To ensure the widespread success of the initiative, Princess Lalla Asmaa presided over the formal signing ceremony of five strategic cooperation agreements aimed at improving and expanding access to hearing health services nationwide. The first agreement was finalized between the Lalla Asmaa Foundation, the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Integration, and Family, and the Ministry Delegate in charge of the Budget. It was co-signed by the Foundation’s Executive Chairman, Karim Essakalli, the Minister of Solidarity Naima Ben Yahia, and the Minister Delegate Fouzi Lekjaa. The second agreement was concluded between the Lalla Asmaa Foundation and the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Promotion of Social Works in Education and Training, represented by Karim Essakalli and Foundation President Youssef El Bakkali.
The final three agreements were established between the Lalla Asmaa Foundation and the Territorial Health Groups (GSTs) representing the regions of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Rabat-Sale-Kenitra, and Casablanca-Settat. These regional partnerships were signed on one side by Karim Essakalli and Fouzi Lekjaa, and on the other by the respective Directors General of the GSTs: Mohamed Aggouri, Brahim Lekehal, and Hicham Afif.
Since the initial launch of the “NASMAA” program in 2022, the Lalla Asmaa Foundation has achieved remarkable progress under the active leadership of Princess Lalla Asmaa. The foundation has successfully performed life-changing cochlear implants on 950 Moroccan children as well as 368 children coming from 22 different countries worldwide. In tight alignment with the royal vision of global sharing, innovation, and international solidarity, this program reinforces a compassionate Moroccan healthcare model that emphasizes collective progress, ensuring the active transmission of national medical expertise to improve children’s health across the region.
AK/ac/fss/abj/APA