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Introduction and aim. The objective of this study is to evaluate the nutritional status of children aged 0-24 months, and analyze its association with socioeconomic status during the COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco. Material and methods. This cross-sectional study was carried out in the outpatient health network between 2021 and 2022, by taking anthropometric measurements of children in accordance with World Health Organization standards and using a questionnaire sent to consenting mothers. Results. 1012 children were included in this study. The prevalence of overweight was 13.3%, obesity 3.2%, wasting and severe wasting 2.7%. The study revealed that boys had a higher prevalence of overweight compared to girls (p=0.01), while girls were more likely to have a normal weight than boys (p=0.001). Furthermore, a statistically significant association was observed between nutritional status and age in boys (p=0.003); however, malnutrition such as overweight and wasting increased after the age of 12 months in both genders. There was a significant correlation between child nutritional status, gender, and residence, but no significant association was found with parental education or household income. Conclusion. This study suggests that it is important to develop strategies to improve socio-economic status in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 still represents a real risk for the increased death rate for the whole of human kind. In this context, the present research work aims at describing evolutionary data in a population of hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients based on selected epidemiological, clinical and paraclinical data at admission. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the data obtained from 108 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the VINCI clinic, Casablanca (Morocco) between August and September 2020. General characteristic, clinical, radiological and biological data as well as therapeutic management were assessed. The patients’ median age was 45-50 years old. Among our studied patients, 4.6% were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU), 16.7% were cured after more than 15 days, while 78.7% were cured within 15 days. Those transferred to the ICU unit were either smokers, obese, or over 65 years of age. The majority of patients with normal radiological and cardiac parameters were cured within

Background: Countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) are predisposed to highly contagious, severe and fatal, emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), and re-emerging infectious diseases (RIDs). This paper reviews the epidemiological situation of EIDs and RIDs of global concern in the EMR between 2001 and 2018. Methods: To do a narrative review, a complete list of studies in the field was we prepared following a systematic search approach. Studies that were purposively reviewed were identified to summarize the epidemiological situation of each targeted disease. A comprehensive search of all published studies on EIDs and RIDs between 2001 and 2018 was carried out through search engines including Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. Results: Leishmaniasis, hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV) are reported from all countries in the region. Chikungunya, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), dengue fever, and H5N1 have been increasing in number, frequency, and expanding in their geographic distribution. Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), which was reported in this region in 2012 is still a public health concern. There are challenges to control cholera, diphtheria, leishmaniasis, measles, and poliomyelitis in some of the countries. Moreover, Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever (AHF), and Rift Valley fever (RVF) are limited to some countries in the region. Also, there is little information about the real situation of the plague, Q fever, and tularemia. Conclusion: EIDs and RIDs are prevalent in most countries in the region and could further spread within the region. It is crucial to improve regional capacities and capabilities in preventing and responding to disease outbreaks with adequate resources and expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early-onset neonatal sepsis is recognized as a common and serious problem for neonates. The clinical manifestations of neonatal sepsis are nonspecific and have varied clinical features. Therefore, their diagnosis is based on a combination of clinical presentation, the use of biological tests, and anamnestic arguments. The present study aimed to describe the infection risk factors, as well as clinical, paraclinical, and evolutionary characteristics of newborns with suspected early-onset neonatal sepsis and highlight the importance of C-reactive protein(CRP) to diagnose neonatal sepsis. Methods: This retrospective analytical study was conducted at the National Reference Center for Neonatology and Nutrition at Children's Hospital, University Hospital Centre IbnSina of Rabat, from January 1 to December 31, 2016. Results: During the study period, 1,199 newborns met the inclusion criteria. Upon admission, 52% of cases were under the age of one day. Symptomatic newborns represented 67.4% of the cases. The hospitalized cases with one or more infection risk factors were represented 80.3% of cases. The CRP was positive (> 20 mg/L) in 698 (58%) newborns. Univariate analysis pointed out that CRP value was significantly associated with age groups (P<0.001), presence of at least one infectious risk factor (P<0.001), as well as the presence of respiratory (P<0.001), cutaneous (P<0.001), circulatory (P=0.02), and neurological (P=0.008) symptoms. The diagnosis of early-onset neonatal infection with a meningeal, pulmonary, or ocular location was retained in 5%, 2%, and 0.2% of cases, respectively. The mortality rate was reported as 7%. Conclusion: Screening, management, and reduction of early-onset neonatal infection remain a crucial challenge, requiring coordination between pediatricians and obstetricians to obtain reliable data and identify newborns at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Dietary habits in Morocco are changing and the causes are not well understood. This study aimed to analyse socio-demographic factors associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MeDi) in a national random sample of the adult Moroccan population. Methods The data collected in this cross-sectional survey included socio-demographic factors and a food frequency questionnaire. MeDi adherence was assessed in 2214 individuals with complete dietary data. MeDi adherence was measured according to a simplified MeDi score based on the weekly frequency of intake of eight food groups (vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereal or potatoes, fish, red meat, dairy products and olive oil) with the use of the sex specific medians of the sample as cut-offs. A value of 0 or 1 was assigned to consumption of each component according to its presumed detrimental or beneficial effect on health. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between MeDi adherence (low score 1-4 vs. high 5-8) and other factors. Results Mean age of the sample was 41.4 (standard deviation 15.3) years, 45.4% were men and 29.9% had a low MeDi adherence. Married subjects (adjusted odds ratio ORa=0.68, 95% CI 0.55-0.84) were less likely to have a low MeDi adherence compared to single, divorced or widowed persons. Persons from rural areas (ORa=1.46, 95% CI: 1.02-2.08), were more often low MeDi adherents compared to those from urban areas. Obese persons (ORa=1.56, 95% CI: 1.16-2.11) were more prone to low MeDi adherence than normal weight individuals. Conclusion MeDi is far from being a universal pattern in the Moroccan population. Intervention strategies should be implemented in target groups to maintain the traditional MeDi pattern considered as the original diet in Morocco.