With the arrival of summer and the anticipated return of children to national youth camps, Morocco’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Communication have launched a coordinated health preparedness campaign aimed at ensuring strict sanitary and safety protocols at all camping sites.
In a joint directive circulated to regional offices, the two ministries emphasized the urgent need to implement comprehensive health coverage and to enforce hygiene and safety standards across Morocco’s national summer camps.
The move comes amid concerns over the heightened risk of contagious disease transmission, particularly measles, in group settings like youth camps.
The circular, issued on February 18, 2025, lays out detailed preventive measures, calling for a joint action plan to support a safe and educational summer environment for children and youth.
This includes strategies to monitor the spread of infectious diseases, especially measles, and to ensure camps operate under sanitary conditions in line with public health guidelines.
Authorities have been instructed to conduct joint inspection visits to all centers before and during the camping season. These visits will assess the readiness of facilities and verify that each site has proper medical provisions, such as onsite nursing stations and access to nearby health and emergency services.
As part of the updated protocol, mandatory health screenings will be conducted upon arrival for both participants and camp supervisors. Children must present their personal health records, with special attention paid to their vaccination status. This includes implementing entry health checks to detect potential symptoms of communicable diseases early.
The directive also mandates stringent monitoring of food safety, requiring health documentation for kitchen staff and food handlers at the start of each session. Awareness sessions will be organized on safe food practices to prevent foodborne illnesses.
In case of a detected measles case or other contagious illness, regional health authorities are to be notified immediately. Risk assessments will be conducted, and precautionary measures, including the possible temporary closure of sub-camps or entire facilities, may be enforced to prevent outbreaks.
In a field visit last Thursday, a joint provincial inspection team reviewed the health and safety infrastructure at the Aklemous National Camp Center in Ouarzazate, examining dormitories, recreation spaces, sanitary facilities, and the medical unit. The inspection is part of broader efforts to verify the preparedness of key centers ahead of the camping season.
Meanwhile, in the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region, the regional branch of the National Camping Federation confirmed it has held coordination meetings with health and youth ministry representatives to prepare the implementation of this summer’s health coverage and safety protocols.
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