Morocco: migrant health guide
Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients from Morocco for healthcare practitioners.
Main messages
If the patient is new to the UK:
- explain to them how the NHS works
- discuss how this compares to the healthcare system they’ve been used to
Ensure that all patients are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule.
Screen all new entrants, including children, for tuberculosis (TB).
Determine any risk factors for hepatitis B infection, that may indicate the need for screening. Morocco has a low prevalence.
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
Be advised that there is a risk of typhoid infection in Morocco.
Consider nutritional and metabolic concerns.
Infectious diseases
Immunisation
Ensure that all patients, especially children, are up-to-date with the UK immunisation schedule.
Tuberculosis (TB)
There is a high incidence of TB in Morocco (40 to 499 cases per 100,000), so:
- screen all new entrants (including children) for TB according to NICE guidelines
- refer to TB services promptly if screening is positive
- maintain long term vigilance for symptoms of TB even if initial screening is negative
- be aware that TB is a notifiable disease
Sexually transmitted infections and HIV
Take a sexual history, and:
- screen for STIs and HIV according to risk as specified in the UK national standards and guidelines
- test all sexually active patients under the age of 25 for chlamydia
Morocco has a low rate of HIV (≤1%), so:
- offer and recommend an HIV test if the patient:
- falls into a high risk group
- is newly registering in a high prevalence area
- be advised that national guidelines do not recommend routine consideration of HIV testing of infants and children who have recently arrived in the UK
Hepatitis B
Morocco has a low prevalence of hepatitis B, so:
- offer screening for hepatitis B to all pregnant women during each pregnancy
- immunise appropriately babies born to mothers who are hepatitis B positive and follow-up accordingly
- be aware that the UK has a universal infant immunisation programme for hepatitis B and a selective immunisation programme for higher risk groups
Hepatitis C
Morocco has a higher prevalence of hepatitis C than the UK, so consider screening for hepatitis C.
Travel plans and advice
Ask opportunistically about any travel plans the patient may have to visit friends and relatives in their country of origin, and see National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC), or the Health Protection Scotland websites (TRAVAX and fitfortravel), for travel advice.
Typhoid
There is a risk of typhoid infection in Morocco, so:
- ensure that travellers to Morocco are offered typhoid immunisation and advice on prevention of enteric fever
- remember enteric fever in the differential diagnosis of illness in patients with a recent history of travel to-or-from Morocco
Helminths
There is a risk of helminth infections in Morocco, including soil transmitted helminthiasis.
Women’s health
Reproductive health indicators
| Reproductive health indicator | UK | Morocco |
|---|---|---|
| Children per woman¹ | 2 | 2 |
| Use of contraception² | 82% | 63% |
| Breast examination or mammography³ | 75% | 2% |
| Cervical cancer screening⁴ | 70% | 4% |
¹lifetime average ²by woman of reproductive age or partner ³women aged 50 to 69 years ⁴women aged 20 to 69 years.
Nutritional and metabolic concerns
Anaemia
There is a moderate risk of anaemia in adults (estimated prevalence in non-pregnant women is 20 to 40%), and in pre-school children (estimated prevalence is 20 to 40%), in Morocco, so:
- be alert to the possibility of anaemia in recently arrived migrants, particularly women and pre-school children
- test as clinically indicated
Vitamin D
Consider the possibility of vitamin D deficiency in people who may be at risk due to:
- covering their body for cultural or religious reasons (lack of sunlight)
- skin colour
- diet (vegan or vegetarian)
Vitamin A
There is a risk of vitamin A deficiency in Morocco.
Iodine
People from Morocco may be at risk of mild iodine deficiency due to inadequate intake.
Country profile
Health indicators and health care
WHO Global Health Observatory has a summary of health indicators and health care in Morocco.
Culture, politics and history
BBC News and The World Factbook provide background information on the culture, politics and history of Morocco.
Languages
The main languages used in Morocco are:
- Arabic (official)
- Berber languages:
- Tamazight (official)
- Tachelhit
- Tarifit
- French: often the language of business, government and diplomacy
Source: The World Factbook.
Religions
| Religion | Population (%)¹ |
|---|---|
| Muslim² | 99 |
| Other³ | 1 |
¹2010 est. ²official; virtually all Sunni, <0.1% Shia ³includes Christian, Jewish (about 6,000) and Baha’i
Source: The World Factbook.
Migration to the UK
There were over 21,000 people from Morocco living in England and Wales at the time of the 2011 Census.
Source: Office for National Statistics © Crown Copyright 2014.
Updates to this page
Published 31 July 2014Last updated 8 April 2016 + show all updates
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Updated advice on testing hep B, based on current prevalence in Morocco.
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First published.