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Fez hosts a major international conference on refugee and migrant health


The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the World Health Organization (WHO), along with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in partnership with the Fez-based Euromed University, are jointly organizing an International Conference on the Health of Refugees and Migrants on October 29 thru 30, 2024. Hosted by Euromed University in Fez, this major event will bring together key national, regional, and international stakeholders to discuss the main health challenges faced by these populations as well as the best practices to adopt in order address their health needs.

“Ensuring access to health care for migrant and refugee populations is essential to strengthening equity in health-care,” said Maryam Bigdeli, the WHO Representative in Morocco, who further observed that “universal health coverage is not just a goal; but rather a necessary action to remove all barriers to health care and to promote the well-being of all. By ensuring accessible and inclusive health services, we contribute not only to the reduction of inequalities, but also the enhancement of sustainable development in societies.” One of the aims of the conference is to showcase the best practices being observed in the MENA region for the purpose of improving the health of migrants and refugees. The central role played by universities in developing evidence-based policies and programs will likewise be discussed.

Professor Mostapha Bousmina, President of Euromed University in Fez, underscored the importance of this event in the context of the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI: “As a university committed to social issues, it is our duty to actively contribute to the ongoing search for solutions aimed at guaranteeing equal access to health care for all, including migrant and refugee populations, who often rank among the most vulnerable categories.” This event is also perfectly attuned to the activities undertaken by the Chair of the Alliance of Civilizations at Euromed University in Fez—which was established by the United Nations within the framework of the Alliance of Civilizations.

The Conference coincides with the implementation of major reforms to Morocco’s social protection and health-care systems. The new Social Protection Law (Law no. 09-21) aims to extend health insurance coverage to 22 million citizens, thereby guaranteeing ready access to a wider range of health-care services at a reduced cost, while the Health-care System Reform (Law no. 06-22) purports to improve access to, the quality, and the distribution of health-care services. In this respect, the Fez International Conference will assess the progress made in the field of health care for refugees and migrants, within the larger context of these reforms, as well as Morocco’s international commitments in this area.

“Dismantling barriers to health-care for refugees and migrants is a public health imperative which has the merit of making it possible to guarantee the right to health for everyone,” said François Reybet-Degat, UNHCR Representative in Morocco, adding that “healthy migrants and refugees can also make an effective contribution to the development of both their host society and their society of origin.”

Over the course of the two days, recommendations intended to improve access to health care for migrants and refugees throughout their migratory journeys will be explored and made. And in this connection, Laura Palatini, IOM’s Mission Chief in Morocco, said: “Digitizing the medical records of refugee and migrant patients and bolstering South-South cooperation constitute promising avenues for action to ensure continuity of care. This conference is thus an important opportunity to initiate coordinated action between the countries of origin, of transit, and of destination.”

The Conference will bring together more than 150 participants, representing ministries of health, and IOM, WHO and UNHCR representations based in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, and Iraq, as well as researchers, academics, and civil society representatives from Canada, Spain, and the UK. This international conference is organized as part of a regional project, dubbed “Promoting the Health and Protection of Vulnerable Migrant Populations in Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Yemen.” And the project is funded by the Finnish Ministry in charge of Foreign Affairs.

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