Health workforce trends and planning in Morocco: a READ-based systematic document analysis

In 2023, Morocco had 0.80 physicians and 1.03 nurses or midwives per 1000 population, below reference values of 1.72 and 4.5. Between 2000 and 2023, physician density nearly doubled, and nursing density rose substantially. Training capacity expanded, with enrollment increases of 171% in paramedical programs and 96% in medicine and pharmacy. Growth remains uneven, with physician concentration in urban areas, shortages in remote regions and retention challenges. Beyond expanding training, stronger governance, equitable deployment, and financing are needed to translate supply gains into equitable services. This study provides the first national synthesis using a READ-based approach and establishes a reproducible baseline to guide forecasting, fair distribution, real-time registry development, and governance reforms.