Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 51-10 | Page 91

Prevalence of disability in Morocco
increases as one moves away from the Atlantic coast
(the more economically developed regions), towards
the Eastern and Southern frontiers (characterized by
lower economic productivity and lower coverage of
medical care provision). Disability has a bidirectional
link with poverty and is associated with poor socio-
economic conditions in both developed and develo-
ping countries (32–36). There was insufficient data
collected in the present study to assess the income of
surveyed individuals or deduce the economic level of
the household, in order to investigate the relationship
between disability and poverty on an individual level.
However, on a regional level, a statistically significant
disparity of disability prevalence was observed among
different administrative Moroccan regions. Moreover,
the prevalence of disability rate curve evolved in the
opposite direction to the gross domestic product (GDP)
among different administrative Moroccan regions (Fig.
3), highlighting the need for a comprehensive national
strategy to improve the living conditions of PWD,
which would take into consideration geographical
disparities and priorities.
The present study is the first large survey on disa-
bility in Morocco to be conducted using standardized
measuring tools, and to yield reliable and comparable
data on disability and its aspects. The results are critical
to guide national disability policies and programmes,
to focus on removing disabling barriers and improving
the access of PWD to healthcare and participation.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The study was conducted and funded by the Moroccan govern-
ment as part of a National Action Plan on Disability.
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
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J Rehabil Med 51, 2019