Abdelaali El Badaoui: From the burnt child to a health revolution in the suburbs

DR Abdelaali El Badaoui

Abdelaali El Badaoui is not a public health actor like the others. Born and raised in the suburbs of Paris, he grew up with a keen awareness of the inequalities that mark access to care in working-class neighborhoods and rural areas. Very early on, he witnessed the social, cultural and economic barriers that prevent the most vulnerable from accessing essential health services. Portrait. 

Initially, nothing predestined Abdelaali El Badaoui to work in the health sector. Born in 1988, he grew up in a modest family in the suburbs of Paris. At just six years old, Abdelaali El Badaoui survived a serious accident that left him with burns on 70% of his body. This traumatic experience, coupled with the administrative difficulties encountered by his illiterate Moroccan parents, forged his determination to help the most deprived. His early years were marked by the social and economic challenges faced by many families from immigrant backgrounds. Very early on, Abdelaali had to work to support himself. After an atypical career, alternating between work as a cleaner, delivery man, and a high-level athletics career, while continuing his studies in the medical-social sector.  Abdelaali finally obtained a nursing diploma. It was during his years working as a nurse in the hospital that he became fully aware of the profound inequalities in access to care in working-class neighborhoods and decided to take action to bridge this gap.  

He remembers “as if it were yesterday” a defining moment that pushed him to “get moving”: “One day, I saw a mother with her children who was unable to understand the steps to access care. That's when I realized that something had to be done. These neighborhoods had to be reconnected to the health system.” This spark led to the creation of Banlieues Santé in 2018, an association born from his determination to change things. He was able to transform a path strewn with pitfalls into a driving force in his life and turn it into something positive.  

The creation of Banlieues Santé: a bridge between health and neighborhoods 

The primary objective of Banlieues Santé is clear: to re-establish the link between residents of working-class neighborhoods and the health system. For El Badaoui, the obstacles go far beyond the lack of services: “It's not just a question of medical facilities. It's also a problem of trust, understanding the procedures, sometimes language. That's why Banlieues Santé is there, to recreate the link and support residents.” The association intervenes on the ground, offers free consultations, and raises awareness of health issues. 

The arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 amplified the mission of Banlieues Santé, the association played a vital role in managing the health crisis in marginalized territories. This period reinforced Abdelaali El Badaoui's conviction that to truly reduce health inequalities, it was necessary to act further upstream, by building sustainable solutions. 

More than 100,000 people have benefited from the work of the association, which includes around thirty permanent staff, in around ten cities. 

 

From commitment to investment 

His expertise is recognized at the highest level: Received by all public authorities, recognized, – he sits on the board of directors of several institutions and advises heads of state and CEOs on issues of social inequality – and With this successful experience, the thirty-year-old has decided to take a new step by launching investment initiatives. In 2023, he is creating an impact investment fund to finance innovative health-related projects in disadvantaged neighborhoods. “We need to move beyond the emergency and invest in sustainable solutions,” he explains. This fund supports local initiatives such as telemedicine, training for local caregivers and the creation of mobile clinics. The fund's ambition is clear: to enable the residents of these neighborhoods to take their destiny into their own hands by becoming agents of change themselves. “It is crucial that solutions come from the field, from people who live and understand local realities. Only in this way can we create a sustainable impact,” he insists.In addition to these investment projects, El Badaoui has surrounded himself with strategic partners to raise the necessary funds. He collaborates with companies in the health sector, public institutions and local authorities to strengthen the impact of his actions. These partnerships make it possible to carry out large-scale projects, such as financing community health centres or listening spaces for the most vulnerable populations. 

Building partnerships for a sustainable impact 

For Abdelaali, the challenge is to build a local ecosystem where health is not limited to medical consultation, but also includes prevention, health education and psychological support. “We need to rethink our health system so that it is inclusive and accessible to all. This requires smart investments and genuine collaboration between all stakeholders, public and private,” he hammers home. 

Banlieue Santé is already internationalizing in Morocco, Belgium, Senegal and soon in England and the United States. On this model, other sectors have been explored at Banlieue School, Banlieue Climat, Banlieue Sport and Banlieue Droit.  His fight has been recognized by numerous distinctions, including the 2020 European Citizen Prize and the prestigious Ashoka Fellow label in 2022. 

Abdelaali El Badaoui remains tirelessly attached to the idea of ​​inclusion. For him, as long as the “invisibles of health” – those people left behind by the system – are not taken care of, his work will not be finished. “We must give a voice to those who do not have one. Health must be a right for all, no matter where they come from,” he concludes.   

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