Geographical Locations - Morocco

• (Statistical) Number of Inhabitants per Doctor:
• CIA World Factbook : Morocco

Organisations and Networks

UN and Multinational

• WHO
  - WHO Country Profile - Morocco
  - WHO - Tobacco control: Country Profile - Morocco
  - WHO - Environmental Burden of Disease: Country Profile – Morocco
• WHO - Regional Office (EMRO in Alexandria (Egypt)
• UNDP - Morocco

Government

• Kingdom of Morocco Ministere de la Sante

Non-Government

• Association de Soutien aux Malades du Sang
  This organisation provides support to people suffering from blood disorders by ensuring the supply of drugs and equipment, the construction of a new health facility and organising seminars.
• Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca
  The work of the Pasteur Institute in Morocco includes research into infectious diseases of humans, animals and plants; teaching of microbiology and parasitology, and the preparation and importation of vaccines and other biological products.

Academic Institutions

National Policy and Related Documents

Reports, Guidelines, and Projects

• Adolescent and Youth Reproductive Health in Morocco: Status, Issues, Policies, and Programs
  "This assessment of adolescent reproductive health (ARH) in Morocco is part of a series of assessments in 13 countries in Asia and the Near East. The purpose of the assessments is to highlight the reproductive health status of adolescents in each country, within the context of the lives of adolescent boys and girls. The report begins with the social context and gender socialization that set girls and boys on separate lifetime paths in terms of life expectations, educational attainment, job prospects, labor force participation, reproduction, and duties in the household. The report also outlines laws and policies that pertain to ARH and discusses information and service delivery programs that provide reproductive health information and services to adolescents. The report identifies operational barriers to ARH and ends with recommendations for action to improve ARH in Morocco." [USAID Policy Project, January 2003]
• Mise en Oeuvre de la Déclaration d'Engagement sur le VIH/SIDA: Rapport National 2008: Royaume du Maroc (Report on Progress towards Implementation of the UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS: Kingdom of Morocco – 2008 update)
  "Grâce à l’adoption du plan stratégique national 2007-2011, le pays s’est engagé pour des mesures durables de lutte contre le sida dans un ensemble de secteurs comme l’éducation, la jeunesse, les affaires religieuses, le monde du travail, les médias, la migration et le système pénitentiaire. Ambitieux mais réaliste, ce plan vise l’accès universel des populations exposées aux programmes de prévention, la prise en charge globale des personnes vivant avec le VIH ainsi que la mise en place d’un dispositive d’appui psychosocial."
• Obesity and related metabolic disorders are prevalent in Moroccan women of childbearing age
  Obesity is associated with hypertension and a cluster of metabolic disturbances that mediates the development and progression of chronic disease. The aim of this paper was to study the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) distribution of Moroccan women of child-bearing age and to examine their relationship with obesity-related conditions. We examined data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 1995 on 1212 women 15-49 years old, sampled from urban and rural areas of El Jadida, a province of Morocco. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, weight, height and waist circumference (WC) were measured and BMI was calculated as weight (kg)/height (m)². Fasting plasma cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), insulin and glucose were collected in a sub-sample of 534 women. Age, socioeconomic status (SES), fasting plasma insulin, and blood pressure were each associated with obesity (BMI > 30) or central obesity (WC > 88 cm). Several risk factors for the metabolic syndrome (high glucose, insulin, TG, CHOL, BP and WC) were prevalent in association with high BMI and WC. Among obese women, more than 70% had the metabolic syndrome, compared to approximately 45% of overweight women and 30% of normal weight women (P < 0.0001). Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome increased with SES (P = 0.01) and was higher in urban compared to rural area of residence (P = 0.006). The development of viable strategies for prevention of insulin resistance and obesity is a pressing priority. [author abstract] [International Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism (2005) 13: 159-166]
• Occurrence of Salmonella in Chicken Carcasses and Giblets in Meknès-Morocco
  A study was conducted to estimate the occurrence and distribution of Salmonella in raw chicken meat and giblets (liver and gizzard) on the Moroccan market. From November 2005 to November 2006, a total of 576 samples were collected from retailers. Of these, 144 samples were from popular market, 144 from artisanal slaughterhouses, 144 from poulterers’ shops and 144 from a supermarket at Meknes (centre-south Morocco). Of the total 576 samples examined, Salmonella was detected in 57 (9.90%) of the samples analyzed. Among the chicken samples examined high proportion of gizzard (13.88 %), liver (11.11 %), leg (8.33 %) and breast (6.25 %) were contaminated with Salmonella. In summary 30 (20.83 %) of the popular market samples, 24 (16.66 %) of the traditional slaughterhouses samples and 3 (2.08%) of the poulterers’ shops were positive for one or more Salmonella. Out of the total 57 Salmonella isolates, 4 different serotypes were identified of which S. Typhimurium (40.35%) was the most frequent followed by S. Newport (26.31%). S. Montevideo (17.54 %) and S. Heidelberg (15.78 %). Results of the present study indicated that there was a high level of Salmonella contamination of chicken meat and giblets in popular market and artisanal slaughterhouses, which could be considered as one of the major potential source of human salmonellosis in Morocco. [author abstract] [Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 7 (2): 231-233, 2008]
• Scorpion sting: a public health problem in El Kelaa des Sraghna (Morocco)
  The present study aimed at verifying the impact of a Moroccan strategy against scorpion stings and specifically at identifying the epidemiological features of patients envenomed or just stung by scorpions. It included 11,907 patients from El Kelaa des Sraghna Province, Morocco, who were evaluated over five years (2001.2005). Most stings occurred during the hot period and mainly at night. The average incidence was 3.2 per 1,000 inhabitants; patients .15 years accounted for 34%, and the envenomation rate was 12%. Average lethality rate was 0.7%. Our work evaluated the efficacy of the adopted strategy based on indicators of follow-up, morbidity and lethality due to scorpion sting and envenomation. [author abstract] [J. Venom. Anim. Toxins incl. Trop. Dis. V.14, n.2, p.258-273, 2008]

Educational Resources

• CDC - Travel Information : North Africa
• Library of Congress, Country Study: Morocco
• UNAIDS/WHO Epidemiological Fact Sheet on HIV and AIDS: Core data on epidemiology and response – 2008 update – Morocco