On the road to family medicine
Rachid CHOUKRI
On the verge of expanding its Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Morocco faces an urgent need to strengthen primary healthcare through a family medicine training program. With no family medicine departments in the nine national universities, the Master’s program in Family and Community Health at the National School of Public Health in Rabat offers a promising interim solution, proven effective at the ten operational Family and Community Health Centers.Graduates of this Master’s program offered by the National School of Public Health (ENSP) are trained to: – Assess health needs at the family and community level – Plan and implement preventive and health promotion initiatives – Coordinate care within a family medicine and primary care framework – Analyze health data and propose targeted solutions – Conduct applied research to improve healthcare services This program aligns with Morocco’s National Health Strategy (Health Plan 2025) and aims to strengthen family medicine and primary care as the cornerstone of the health system, while developing specialized training tailored to population needs.-Literature review and desk work -Interviews with training program coordinators -Visit to a community medicine center (in Casablanca)-The Master’s program is comprehensive, combining theoretical courses with practical immersion in health centers and local hospitals. -Supporting the doctors and staff in charge of these health centers through around sixty training sessions enables them to perform their tasks with confidence and ease. -The evaluation report highlights the viability of the project and its potential for replication at other sites.Private sector general practitioners, aware of the existence of this Master’s program, wish for it to be adapted to the conditions of practice in private clinics.Strengthening primary healthcare in Morocco is a “must” to achieve Universal Health Coverage (CUS)
