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Rabat – The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and UNICEF Morocco have launched a new five-year partnership to strengthen healthcare services for mothers and children in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region.
The region, which is home to around 2.5 million people – about 7% of Morocco’s population – faces serious health challenges, KOICA noted in a press release. Many families live far from health centers, with 21% of residents more than 10 kilometers away from the nearest primary facility.
Shortages of doctors, nurses, and midwives make access to care even harder, especially in mountainous provinces like Azilal and Khenifra.
According to the World Bank, despite achieving significant progress, maternal and infant mortality rates “remain high” in Morocco, especially in rural areas.
“In rural areas, maternal mortality rates are two and a half times higher than in urban areas (111 versus 45 deaths per 100,000 live births),” says the organization.
The project, called Improving Health and Nutrition in Beni Mellal-Khenifra Region, Morocco (2025-2029), has a total budget of $11.7 million. It will be carried out with the support of Morocco’s Ministry of Health and regional authorities.
The goal is to “establish a regional model to reduce preventable maternal and child mortality, strengthen healthcare infrastructure, and enhance service delivery,” according to KOICA.
The initiative is expected to directly benefit 15,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women, 125,000 children under the age of five, and 200 healthcare professionals each year. More than 1.3 million people in rural areas of the region will also benefit indirectly, added the statement.
It noted that this is not KOICA’s first health project in
Morocco. Since 2021, KOICA has been implementing a maternal and newborn health program in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region with a budget of $3.5 million. That initiative helped train primary healthcare workers and expanded access to online courses for health professionals through a partnership with the National School of Public Health.
The new Beni Mellal-Khenifra project supports Morocco’s health sector reforms, decentralization plans, and the country’s New Development Model (2021-2035). It also contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2023–2027), according to the statement..
The agreement was officially signed in the presence of Yeon-Jean Yoon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Morocco. “This agreement is a clear demonstration of the long-standing friendship and partnership between Korea and Morocco, and of our shared vision to advance sustainable development and well-being for all with our distinguishable partner, UNICEF,” he said.
Hyewon Cho, KOICA Country Director, said this partnership demonstrates Korea’s “commitment to supporting Morocco’s healthcare system and establishing an effective model for maternal and child health with UNICEF’s technical support.”
Meanwhile, Laura Bill, UNICEF Representative in Morocco, said this collaboration “reflects our shared commitment to improving maternal and child health in underserved regions, fostering sustainable development, and ensuring equitable access to quality services.”
