ISGlobal Brings Together Moroccan ministers, Academia and Civil Society in Three Workshosps Related to the Mediterranean Health Observatory

For over two years, ISGlobal has been working with the Moroccan Ministry of Health, in the framework of the Mediterranean Health Observatory, on several joint actions in the fields of public health and epidemiology, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To date, several activities related to environmental health and migration, priorities in the 2030 Agenda, have been carried out.

Regarding environmental health, the Epidemiology and Disease Department (DELM) of the Moroccan Ministry of Health, in collaboration with ISGlobal and the Spanish Agency for Development Aid (AECID), organised two workshops in Rabat on November 12 and 13 with representatives from the Ministries of Health, Education, Interior, and Energy and Sustainable Development, in order to identify and prioritise national policies aimed at increasing access to water, sanitation and hygiene and improving air quality in Morocco. "Working with regional stakeholders is key for integrating scientific evidence into local and national policies,” says ISGlobal researcher David Rojas, who participated in both workshops. “These meetings facilitate the implementation of policies that will help achieve the SDGs in Morocco.” 

In regard to migration, the National School of Public Health (ENSP) organised a workshop on November 15 to present and validate the study protocol “Mapping of non-governmental institutions and associations working to improve migrant health in Morocco” with public representatives from local associations, NGOs and the public administration. The study’s goal is to identify the availability of special human resources that can attend to the health needs of migrants and, thereby, detect those areas within the Moroccan territory that lack such resources despite having a high density of migrant populations.   

The Mediterranean Health Observatory is a project supported by ISGlobal and the Moroccan Ministry of Health- with funds from the Spanish Cooperation- that aims to identify and work on global health issues of special interest for the Mediterranean region and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, such as environmental health and migrant health.