INTRODUCTION:
Sub-Saharan African migrant caregivers in Morocco face some barriers to childhood vaccination, despite formal entitlement to free services. Participatory research approaches in health intervention development have the potential to increase the reach, relevance, and effectiveness of tailored solutions for underserved communities, including migrant groups.

METHODS:
We conducted a participatory study applying co-design principles, including a series of workshops with 12 female French-speaking Sub-Saharan African migrants in Rabat. Formative research and pre-engagement were conducted with community-based organizations, and a community–research working group was established to lead the study, comprising two researchers and two female migrant community representatives. All sessions were facilitated by community leaders using a design-thinking approach as described by the Stanford d.school and informed by WHO–UNICEF human-centered design tools. The workshops aimed to identify and prioritize barriers to childhood vaccination and co-develop culturally tailored solutions. Feedback was gathered at the end of each workshop and through debrief sessions with community leaders.

RESULTS:
Across three workshops, three main targets for intervention emerged: language and communication challenges in health facilities, lack of appropriate information on vaccination pathways, and limited male involvement. Participants proposed multiple solutions and ultimately prioritized two multi-component interventions. The first consisted of in-person Darija language classes with embedded vaccination education for both women and men, incorporating short plays to support low-literacy participants. The second involved monthly vaccination workshops held at trusted NGO premises, led by Sub-Saharan African medical students or health professionals. Both interventions were designed to be inclusive and safe and were complemented with in-kind incentives.

CONCLUSIONS:
The resulting co-designed interventions address language and informational barriers to vaccination uptake, although systemic issues such as legal and administrative challenges require broader policy attention. Future research should explore alternative engagement models for migrant communities and strategies to institutionalize meaningful academic–community partnerships to ensure sustained and equitable collaboration.