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Piloting a NGO-led signposting intervention to improve access to government welfare in Southern Morocco: a feasibility study
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Christopher Hands
International Journal for Equity in Health, Volume: 24, Start page: 280
Swansea University Author: Fadi Baghdadi
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© The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
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DOI (Published version): 10.1186/s12939-025-02605-0
Abstract
Background: Access to healthcare and social protection is a key determinant of health equity. In Morocco illiteracy, low awareness, and complex administrative processes contribute to poor enrolment in state welfare programmes, particularly in rural–urban migrant communities. In response, Morocco is...
| Published in: | International Journal for Equity in Health |
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| ISSN: | 1475-9276 |
| Published: |
Springer Nature
2025
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70307 |
| Abstract: |
Background: Access to healthcare and social protection is a key determinant of health equity. In Morocco illiteracy, low awareness, and complex administrative processes contribute to poor enrolment in state welfare programmes, particularly in rural–urban migrant communities. In response, Morocco is transitioning to a consolidated social welfare model – Registre Social Unifié (RSU) – to promote more equitable access. We assessed the feasibility of a Non-Governmental-Organisation (NGO)-led signposting intervention to increase awareness of and access to government social welfare programmes in Southern Morocco. Methods: We used a participatory approach to design and deliver the study in two communes on the outskirts of Agadir, Southern Morocco. We conducted 18 social programme workshops with 1,087 parents, providing information on government welfare programmes. The intervention involved a four-stage process: community sensitisation, individual intake, referral to relevant programmes, and follow-up. We collected anonymised service data and qualitative feedback to evaluate demand, enrolment outcomes, and barriers to access. Results: Seventy percent (n = 785) of participants requested enrolment support. We successfully connected 67% to their desired programme, with the highest completion rates for RAMed (81%) and Tayssir (66%). Barriers included lack of civil registration, inconsistent documentation requirements, and limited coordination between agencies. Frontline staff also identified the absence of a formal social work framework as a barrier to sustainable implementation. Conclusions: This feasibility study indicates that an NGO-led signposting model may support improved access to social welfare in vulnerable Moroccan communities. As Morocco implements the RSU, aiming for full coverage by 2030, integrating an NGO-led outreach model and strengthening social work infrastructure could address enrolment barriers. Future research should examine the long-term impact and scalability of community-based interventions to advance health equity in Morocco. |
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| Keywords: |
Community-based participatory research; Community health planning; Community health services; Feasibility studies; Health equity; Health services accessibility; Morocco; Pilot projects; Public health systems research; Social welfare |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
This work was funded by UNICEF Maroc and the European Union: MOR/PCA20186/PD202252. Writing this paper was supported by the United Kingdom Research and Innovation Economics & Social Sciences Research Council Impact Acceleration Account at Swansea University: ES/X004961/1. |
| Start Page: |
280 |