Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the situation 60 years after independence, to assess the current state, to highlight the constraints and to propose recommendations for improving occupational health in the maritime sector.
Materials and methods: This study was based on collecting data of: 1) Legislative texts on occupational health and safety; 2) Statistics from administrations (Ministry of Health and Ministry of Marine Fisheries), general medical council of Morocco, scientific societies and associations of occupational health and maritime medicine; 3) Analysis of a self-questionnaire sent to 22 physicians working in fishermen's health services and listed in the yearbook 2017 of the Moroccan Society of Maritime Medicine. It included five sections: socio-demographic and professional characteristics, training, assessment of activities, constraints in their exercise and ten priority recommendations to improve the situation.
Results: Health and safety in maritime sector are progressing since the Labour Code of 2004 and the Convention of December 27, 1996 between the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Marine Fisheries. It concerns the organisation of a fishermen's health prevention with the establishment of the fishermen's health office at central level and fishermen's health services at the main ports. However, medical coverage is still insufficient. Maritime medicine remains an unattractive specialty because the physicians are a poorly paid and have some difficult working conditions.
Conclusions: The absence of up-to-date synthetic data on safety and health in maritime sectors led us to carry out this study, which showed some dysfunctions and deficiencies that hinder the promotion of workers' health in this sector. The recommendations proposed by the physicians should be the backbone of any improvement related to occupational health and safety. It is the practitioners themselves who, faced with their practice, are the best able to disseminate a reflection qualified as ethical, which cannot be dissociated from their everyday activities.
Keywords: Morocco; health; maritime sector; safety.