Amina Essolbi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Amina Essolbi

Research paper thumbnail of Preparedness and health risks associated with Moulay Abdellah Amghar moussem, Morocco, 2009-2010

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2013

The objective of this study was to describe the risks and human health outcomes associated with a... more The objective of this study was to describe the risks and human health outcomes associated with attendance at the Moulay Abdellah Amghar moussem (a pre-planned mass gathering attracting more than 360 000 participants) for the purposes of public health prevention, planning, preparedness and response. We performed an environmental health risk assessment and retrospectively reviewed local health centre records before, during and after the event. In addition, standardized interviews with key stakeholders were performed to qualitatively evaluate local public health preparedness and response capacities. During the event, average daily health centre visits increased 5-fold. The sex ratio of health-care visits changed significantly from an average of 1.8:1 female:male visits per day to 1.2:1. The proportion of injuries varied from an average of 3.7% pre-and postevent to 14.8% (P < 0.01) during the event. A significant increase in digestive diseases was also observed during the event. Recommendations include increasing accessibility to free sanitation and hygiene facilities and improving health communications concerning hand washing and food and water safety.

Research paper thumbnail of Determinants of consultation, diagnosis and treatment delays among new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Morocco: a cross-sectional study

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2014

Nous avons conduit en 2012 une étude transversale dans une sélection de 12 provinces/préfectures ... more Nous avons conduit en 2012 une étude transversale dans une sélection de 12 provinces/préfectures au Maroc pour déterminer les délais de consultation (délai patient), de diagnostic et de mise sous traitement (délai système de santé) chez les nouveaux cas de tuberculose pulmonaire à microscopie positive et les facteurs en relation avec ces délais. L'échantillon comprenait 250 patients, éligibles et consentants, qui ont été interviewés lors de leur enregistrement aux Centres de Diagnostic de la Tuberculose et des Maladies Respiratoires (CDTMR) ou aux Centres de Santé Intégrés (CSI), en utilisant un questionnaire structuré et prétesté. Le délai total médian est de 46 jours (intervalle interquartile [IIQ] : 29-84 jours). Le délai patient (médiane : 20 jours ; IIQ : 8-47) est supérieur au délai système de santé (médiane : 15 jours ; IIQ : 7-35). Être analphabète, croire à la disparition spontanée des symptômes, avoir des contraintes économiques ou peur du diagnostic et de l'isolement social sont associés au délai patient. Consulter en premier dans le secteur privé ou faire trois consultations au moins avant le diagnostic sont associés au délai système de santé.

Research paper thumbnail of 测量类运动项目灰色建模与预测的初步研究——奥运会、全运会100m跑与4×100m跑接力成绩预测与分析

Research paper thumbnail of Baseline characteristics of the study population

<p>Baseline characteristics of the study population.</p

Research paper thumbnail of Consort trial flow chart

<p>Consort trial flow chart.</p

Research paper thumbnail of Delivery outcomes

<p>Delivery outcomes.</p

Research paper thumbnail of Postpartum follow-up

<p>Postpartum follow-up.</p

Research paper thumbnail of The role of NGOs and associations in health care for migrants in North West Morocco

E3S Web of Conferences, 2021

Associations working in the field of migrant health are currently an important link to meet the h... more Associations working in the field of migrant health are currently an important link to meet the health needs of the migrant population. Draw up their inventory, in the region of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, has been identified as an essential tool to analyze the roles of this category of partners, their experiences and modes of operation with a zoom on their constraints in the realization of their mission. A descriptive study, based on the literature review, interviews and focus groups with migrants, was conducted in 2018, with 25 associations active in the field of health and migration, selected by reasoned sampling; 72% of associations surveyed were created in the 2000s. Mostly between 18 and 60 years, migrants receiving NGO’s services are frequently in a situation of vulnerability and precariousness; 68% are unemployed. There are many reasons for using associations’ health services, mostly by women (56%). In a context of strong competition between the associations themselves, marked by th...

Research paper thumbnail of Methodological reflections on using realist evaluation in a study of fee exemption policies in West Africa and Morocco

Research paper thumbnail of Data from: Detection and initial management of gestational diabetes through primary health care services in Morocco: an effectiveness-implementation trial

Research paper thumbnail of 無文土器 甕棺墓 檢討

옹관묘는 선사시대에서 근래까지 사용되고 있는 가장 오랜 전통을 가진 묘제의 한 형식으로 세계 각지에서 사용되었다. 한반도에서는 신석기시대에 처음 등장하여 청동기시대에 본격적으... more 옹관묘는 선사시대에서 근래까지 사용되고 있는 가장 오랜 전통을 가진 묘제의 한 형식으로 세계 각지에서 사용되었다. 한반도에서는 신석기시대에 처음 등장하여 청동기시대에 본격적으로 축조되기 시작하였다. 지금까지의 연구결과 무문토기옹관묘는 송국리문화의 등장과 궤를 같이하는...

Research paper thumbnail of Availability of facility resources and services and infection-related maternal outcomes in the WHO Global Maternal Sepsis Study: a cross-sectional study

The Lancet Global Health

Summary Background Infections are among the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. T... more Summary Background Infections are among the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. The Global Maternal Sepsis and Neonatal Initiative, launched in 2016 by WHO and partners, sought to reduce the burden of maternal infections and sepsis and was the basis upon which the Global Maternal Sepsis Study (GLOSS) was implemented in 2017. In this Article, we aimed to describe the availability of facility resources and services and to analyse their association with maternal outcomes. Methods GLOSS was a facility-based, prospective, 1-week inception cohort study implemented in 713 health-care facilities in 52 countries and included 2850 hospitalised pregnant or recently pregnant women with suspected or confirmed infections. All women admitted for or in hospital with suspected or confirmed infections during pregnancy, childbirth, post partum, or post abortion at any of the participating facilities between Nov 28 and Dec 4 were eligible for inclusion. In this study, we included all GLOSS participating facilities that collected facility-level data (446 of 713 facilities). We used data obtained from individual forms completed for each enrolled woman and their newborn babies by trained researchers who checked the medical records and from facility forms completed by hospital administrators for each participating facility. We described facilities according to country income level, compliance with providing core clinical interventions and services according to women's needs and reported availability, and severity of infection-related maternal outcomes. We used a logistic multilevel mixed model for assessing the association between facility characteristics and infection-related maternal outcomes. Findings We included 446 facilities from 46 countries that enrolled 2560 women. We found a high availability of most services and resources needed for obstetric care and infection prevention. We found increased odds for severe maternal outcomes among women enrolled during the post-partum or post-abortion period from facilities located in low-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 1·84 [95% CI 1·05–3·22]) and among women enrolled during pregnancy or childbirth from non-urban facilities (adjusted odds ratio 2·44 [1·02–5·85]). Despite compliance being high overall, it was low with regards to measuring respiratory rate (85 [24%] of 355 facilities) and measuring pulse oximetry (184 [57%] of 325 facilities). Interpretation While health-care facilities caring for pregnant and recently pregnant women with suspected or confirmed infections have access to a wide range of resources and interventions, worse maternal outcomes are seen among recently pregnant women located in low-income countries than among those in higher-income countries; this trend is similar for pregnant women. Compliance with cost-effective clinical practices and timely care of women with particular individual characteristics can potentially improve infection-related maternal outcomes. Funding UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, WHO, Merck for Mothers, and US Agency for International Development.

Research paper thumbnail of 测量类运动项目灰色建模与预测的初步研究——奥运会、全运会100m跑与4×100m跑接力成绩预测与分析

Research paper thumbnail of Frequency and management of maternal infection in health facilities in 52 countries (GLOSS): a 1-week inception cohort study

The Lancet Global Health

Background Maternal infections are an important cause of maternal mortality and severe maternal m... more Background Maternal infections are an important cause of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. We report the main findings of the WHO Global Maternal Sepsis Study, which aimed to assess the frequency of maternal infections in health facilities, according to maternal characteristics and outcomes, and coverage of core practices for early identification and management. Methods We did a facility-based, prospective, 1-week inception cohort study in 713 health facilities providing obstetric, midwifery, or abortion care, or where women could be admitted because of complications of pregnancy, childbirth, post-partum, or post-abortion, in 52 low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). We obtained data from hospital records for all pregnant or recently pregnant women hospitalised with suspected or confirmed infection. We calculated ratios of infection and infection-related severe maternal outcomes (ie, death or near-miss) per 1000 livebirths and the proportion of intrahospital fatalities across country income groups, as well as the distribution of demographic, obstetric, clinical characteristics and outcomes, and coverage of a set of core practices for identification and management across infection severity groups.

Research paper thumbnail of Detection and initial management of gestational diabetes through primary health care services in Morocco: An effectiveness-implementation trial

Research paper thumbnail of Knowledge and practice related to gestational diabetes among primary health care providers in Morocco: Potential for a defragmentation of care?

Primary care diabetes, 2017

The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and practices of general practitioners, nurse... more The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and practices of general practitioners, nurses and midwives working at primary health care facilities in Morocco regarding screening and management of gestational diabetes (GDM). Structured interviews with 100 doctors, midwives and nurses at 44 randomly selected public health care centers were conducted in Marrakech and Al Haouz. All data were descriptively analyzed. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the institutional review boards in Belgium and Morocco. Public primary health care providers have a basic understanding of gestational diabetes but screening and management practices are not uniform. Although 56.8% of the doctors had some pre-service training on gestational diabetes, most nurses and midwives lack such training. After diagnosing GDM, 88.5% of providers refer patients to specialists, only 11.5% treat them as outpatients. Updating knowledge and skills of providers through both pre- and in-service-training need...

Research paper thumbnail of Improving detection and initial management of gestational diabetes through the primary level of care in Morocco: protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial

Reproductive health, Jan 19, 2017

Morocco is facing a growing prevalence of diabetes and according to latest figures of the World H... more Morocco is facing a growing prevalence of diabetes and according to latest figures of the World Health Organization, already 12.4% of the population are affected. A similar prevalence has been reported for gestational diabetes (GDM) and although it is not yet high on the national agenda, immediate and long-term complications threaten the health of mothers and future generations. A situational analysis on GDM conducted in 2015 revealed difficulties in access to screening and delays in receiving appropriate care. This implementation study has as objective to evaluate a decentralized GDM detection and management approach through the primary level of care and assess its potential for scaling up. We will conduct a hybrid effectiveness-implementation research using a cluster randomized controlled trial design in two districts of Morocco. Using the health center as unit of randomization we randomly selected 20 health centers with 10 serving as intervention and 10 as control facilities. In ...

Research paper thumbnail of Diagnosis a posteriori? Assessing gestational diabetes screening and management in Morocco

Global Health Action, 2016

Background: In Morocco, gestational diabetes affects 1 in 10 pregnant women, but knowledge about ... more Background: In Morocco, gestational diabetes affects 1 in 10 pregnant women, but knowledge about screening and management practices outside university settings is limited. Objective: To provide a comprehensive picture about the current situation of screening and management of gestational diabetes at different levels of care and to highlight existing challenges. Design: We conducted a descriptive mixed methods study in the districts of Al Haouz and Marrakech by using both quantitative and qualitative methods, including document reviews of 369 antenatal cards and 299 hospital files, health facility inventories related to resource availability, 20 key informant interviews as well as focus group discussions with 32 pregnant women and exit interviews with 122 antenatal care (ANC) clients. Quantitative data were descriptively analyzed using STATA Version 13, whereas qualitative data were thematically analyzed using NVIVO Version 10. Results: The findings revealed that sensitization of women about gestational diabetes is low, and only 34.4% have ever heard about it before attending ANC. Fasting blood sugar is used for screening, and women are sent to external laboratories for testing. A fasting blood sugar of 0.92 g/l and above was documented in 12.3% of all antenatal cards examined. Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes are usually referred to a specialist despite general practitioners at health center level being responsible for the management of non-pregnant diabetic patients. Conclusions: Decentralization of screening for gestational diabetes and initial management of uncomplicated cases at the primary level of care could ease access to care and reduce the number of mothers who are diagnosed after a complication occurred.

Research paper thumbnail of Consequences of severe obstetric complications on women's health in Morocco: please, listen to me!

Tropical Medicine & International Health, 2015

objective In Morocco, medical care for women with severe obstetric complications (near-miss cases... more objective In Morocco, medical care for women with severe obstetric complications (near-miss cases) ends at discharge from the hospital. Little information exists regarding what happens after returning home. The aim of the study was to assess the physical and mental health consequences of near-miss events on Moroccan women 8 months after childbirth. methods A prospective cohort study of 76 near-miss women was conducted in three hospitals. For every case, we recruited at least two women from the same hospital who had uncomplicated deliveries (n = 169). We used a mixed-methods approach. For the quantitative part, we analysed sociodemographic characteristics collected via a questionnaire and medical complications extracted from the medical records during a medical consultation at 8 months post-partum. Forty in-depth interviews were also conducted with 20 near-miss cases and 20 women with uncomplicated deliveries. results The near-miss women were poorer and less educated than those who had uncomplicated deliveries. The proportion of physical consequences (serious illness) was higher among near-miss cases (22%) than uncomplicated deliveries (6%, P = 0.001). The risk of depression was significantly higher among near-miss cases with perinatal death (OR = 7.16; [95% CI: 2.85-17.98]) than among those who had an uncomplicated delivery. Interviews revealed that the economic burden of near-miss care contributed to social problems among the women and their households. conclusion A near-miss event has consequences that go beyond the first days after delivery. Developing new mechanisms for maternal and newborn health follow-up is essential and should address the mother's physical and mental health problems and involve husbands and family members. keywords maternal near-miss case, physical consequences, mental consequences, Morocco

Research paper thumbnail of POEM–Policy Effect Mapping

Research paper thumbnail of Preparedness and health risks associated with Moulay Abdellah Amghar moussem, Morocco, 2009-2010

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2013

The objective of this study was to describe the risks and human health outcomes associated with a... more The objective of this study was to describe the risks and human health outcomes associated with attendance at the Moulay Abdellah Amghar moussem (a pre-planned mass gathering attracting more than 360 000 participants) for the purposes of public health prevention, planning, preparedness and response. We performed an environmental health risk assessment and retrospectively reviewed local health centre records before, during and after the event. In addition, standardized interviews with key stakeholders were performed to qualitatively evaluate local public health preparedness and response capacities. During the event, average daily health centre visits increased 5-fold. The sex ratio of health-care visits changed significantly from an average of 1.8:1 female:male visits per day to 1.2:1. The proportion of injuries varied from an average of 3.7% pre-and postevent to 14.8% (P < 0.01) during the event. A significant increase in digestive diseases was also observed during the event. Recommendations include increasing accessibility to free sanitation and hygiene facilities and improving health communications concerning hand washing and food and water safety.

Research paper thumbnail of Determinants of consultation, diagnosis and treatment delays among new smear-positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Morocco: a cross-sectional study

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2014

Nous avons conduit en 2012 une étude transversale dans une sélection de 12 provinces/préfectures ... more Nous avons conduit en 2012 une étude transversale dans une sélection de 12 provinces/préfectures au Maroc pour déterminer les délais de consultation (délai patient), de diagnostic et de mise sous traitement (délai système de santé) chez les nouveaux cas de tuberculose pulmonaire à microscopie positive et les facteurs en relation avec ces délais. L'échantillon comprenait 250 patients, éligibles et consentants, qui ont été interviewés lors de leur enregistrement aux Centres de Diagnostic de la Tuberculose et des Maladies Respiratoires (CDTMR) ou aux Centres de Santé Intégrés (CSI), en utilisant un questionnaire structuré et prétesté. Le délai total médian est de 46 jours (intervalle interquartile [IIQ] : 29-84 jours). Le délai patient (médiane : 20 jours ; IIQ : 8-47) est supérieur au délai système de santé (médiane : 15 jours ; IIQ : 7-35). Être analphabète, croire à la disparition spontanée des symptômes, avoir des contraintes économiques ou peur du diagnostic et de l'isolement social sont associés au délai patient. Consulter en premier dans le secteur privé ou faire trois consultations au moins avant le diagnostic sont associés au délai système de santé.

Research paper thumbnail of 测量类运动项目灰色建模与预测的初步研究——奥运会、全运会100m跑与4×100m跑接力成绩预测与分析

Research paper thumbnail of Baseline characteristics of the study population

<p>Baseline characteristics of the study population.</p

Research paper thumbnail of Consort trial flow chart

<p>Consort trial flow chart.</p

Research paper thumbnail of Delivery outcomes

<p>Delivery outcomes.</p

Research paper thumbnail of Postpartum follow-up

<p>Postpartum follow-up.</p

Research paper thumbnail of The role of NGOs and associations in health care for migrants in North West Morocco

E3S Web of Conferences, 2021

Associations working in the field of migrant health are currently an important link to meet the h... more Associations working in the field of migrant health are currently an important link to meet the health needs of the migrant population. Draw up their inventory, in the region of Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, has been identified as an essential tool to analyze the roles of this category of partners, their experiences and modes of operation with a zoom on their constraints in the realization of their mission. A descriptive study, based on the literature review, interviews and focus groups with migrants, was conducted in 2018, with 25 associations active in the field of health and migration, selected by reasoned sampling; 72% of associations surveyed were created in the 2000s. Mostly between 18 and 60 years, migrants receiving NGO’s services are frequently in a situation of vulnerability and precariousness; 68% are unemployed. There are many reasons for using associations’ health services, mostly by women (56%). In a context of strong competition between the associations themselves, marked by th...

Research paper thumbnail of Methodological reflections on using realist evaluation in a study of fee exemption policies in West Africa and Morocco

Research paper thumbnail of Data from: Detection and initial management of gestational diabetes through primary health care services in Morocco: an effectiveness-implementation trial

Research paper thumbnail of 無文土器 甕棺墓 檢討

옹관묘는 선사시대에서 근래까지 사용되고 있는 가장 오랜 전통을 가진 묘제의 한 형식으로 세계 각지에서 사용되었다. 한반도에서는 신석기시대에 처음 등장하여 청동기시대에 본격적으... more 옹관묘는 선사시대에서 근래까지 사용되고 있는 가장 오랜 전통을 가진 묘제의 한 형식으로 세계 각지에서 사용되었다. 한반도에서는 신석기시대에 처음 등장하여 청동기시대에 본격적으로 축조되기 시작하였다. 지금까지의 연구결과 무문토기옹관묘는 송국리문화의 등장과 궤를 같이하는...

Research paper thumbnail of Availability of facility resources and services and infection-related maternal outcomes in the WHO Global Maternal Sepsis Study: a cross-sectional study

The Lancet Global Health

Summary Background Infections are among the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. T... more Summary Background Infections are among the leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. The Global Maternal Sepsis and Neonatal Initiative, launched in 2016 by WHO and partners, sought to reduce the burden of maternal infections and sepsis and was the basis upon which the Global Maternal Sepsis Study (GLOSS) was implemented in 2017. In this Article, we aimed to describe the availability of facility resources and services and to analyse their association with maternal outcomes. Methods GLOSS was a facility-based, prospective, 1-week inception cohort study implemented in 713 health-care facilities in 52 countries and included 2850 hospitalised pregnant or recently pregnant women with suspected or confirmed infections. All women admitted for or in hospital with suspected or confirmed infections during pregnancy, childbirth, post partum, or post abortion at any of the participating facilities between Nov 28 and Dec 4 were eligible for inclusion. In this study, we included all GLOSS participating facilities that collected facility-level data (446 of 713 facilities). We used data obtained from individual forms completed for each enrolled woman and their newborn babies by trained researchers who checked the medical records and from facility forms completed by hospital administrators for each participating facility. We described facilities according to country income level, compliance with providing core clinical interventions and services according to women's needs and reported availability, and severity of infection-related maternal outcomes. We used a logistic multilevel mixed model for assessing the association between facility characteristics and infection-related maternal outcomes. Findings We included 446 facilities from 46 countries that enrolled 2560 women. We found a high availability of most services and resources needed for obstetric care and infection prevention. We found increased odds for severe maternal outcomes among women enrolled during the post-partum or post-abortion period from facilities located in low-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 1·84 [95% CI 1·05–3·22]) and among women enrolled during pregnancy or childbirth from non-urban facilities (adjusted odds ratio 2·44 [1·02–5·85]). Despite compliance being high overall, it was low with regards to measuring respiratory rate (85 [24%] of 355 facilities) and measuring pulse oximetry (184 [57%] of 325 facilities). Interpretation While health-care facilities caring for pregnant and recently pregnant women with suspected or confirmed infections have access to a wide range of resources and interventions, worse maternal outcomes are seen among recently pregnant women located in low-income countries than among those in higher-income countries; this trend is similar for pregnant women. Compliance with cost-effective clinical practices and timely care of women with particular individual characteristics can potentially improve infection-related maternal outcomes. Funding UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction, WHO, Merck for Mothers, and US Agency for International Development.

Research paper thumbnail of 测量类运动项目灰色建模与预测的初步研究——奥运会、全运会100m跑与4×100m跑接力成绩预测与分析

Research paper thumbnail of Frequency and management of maternal infection in health facilities in 52 countries (GLOSS): a 1-week inception cohort study

The Lancet Global Health

Background Maternal infections are an important cause of maternal mortality and severe maternal m... more Background Maternal infections are an important cause of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity. We report the main findings of the WHO Global Maternal Sepsis Study, which aimed to assess the frequency of maternal infections in health facilities, according to maternal characteristics and outcomes, and coverage of core practices for early identification and management. Methods We did a facility-based, prospective, 1-week inception cohort study in 713 health facilities providing obstetric, midwifery, or abortion care, or where women could be admitted because of complications of pregnancy, childbirth, post-partum, or post-abortion, in 52 low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). We obtained data from hospital records for all pregnant or recently pregnant women hospitalised with suspected or confirmed infection. We calculated ratios of infection and infection-related severe maternal outcomes (ie, death or near-miss) per 1000 livebirths and the proportion of intrahospital fatalities across country income groups, as well as the distribution of demographic, obstetric, clinical characteristics and outcomes, and coverage of a set of core practices for identification and management across infection severity groups.

Research paper thumbnail of Detection and initial management of gestational diabetes through primary health care services in Morocco: An effectiveness-implementation trial

Research paper thumbnail of Knowledge and practice related to gestational diabetes among primary health care providers in Morocco: Potential for a defragmentation of care?

Primary care diabetes, 2017

The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and practices of general practitioners, nurse... more The objective of this study was to assess knowledge and practices of general practitioners, nurses and midwives working at primary health care facilities in Morocco regarding screening and management of gestational diabetes (GDM). Structured interviews with 100 doctors, midwives and nurses at 44 randomly selected public health care centers were conducted in Marrakech and Al Haouz. All data were descriptively analyzed. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the institutional review boards in Belgium and Morocco. Public primary health care providers have a basic understanding of gestational diabetes but screening and management practices are not uniform. Although 56.8% of the doctors had some pre-service training on gestational diabetes, most nurses and midwives lack such training. After diagnosing GDM, 88.5% of providers refer patients to specialists, only 11.5% treat them as outpatients. Updating knowledge and skills of providers through both pre- and in-service-training need...

Research paper thumbnail of Improving detection and initial management of gestational diabetes through the primary level of care in Morocco: protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial

Reproductive health, Jan 19, 2017

Morocco is facing a growing prevalence of diabetes and according to latest figures of the World H... more Morocco is facing a growing prevalence of diabetes and according to latest figures of the World Health Organization, already 12.4% of the population are affected. A similar prevalence has been reported for gestational diabetes (GDM) and although it is not yet high on the national agenda, immediate and long-term complications threaten the health of mothers and future generations. A situational analysis on GDM conducted in 2015 revealed difficulties in access to screening and delays in receiving appropriate care. This implementation study has as objective to evaluate a decentralized GDM detection and management approach through the primary level of care and assess its potential for scaling up. We will conduct a hybrid effectiveness-implementation research using a cluster randomized controlled trial design in two districts of Morocco. Using the health center as unit of randomization we randomly selected 20 health centers with 10 serving as intervention and 10 as control facilities. In ...

Research paper thumbnail of Diagnosis a posteriori? Assessing gestational diabetes screening and management in Morocco

Global Health Action, 2016

Background: In Morocco, gestational diabetes affects 1 in 10 pregnant women, but knowledge about ... more Background: In Morocco, gestational diabetes affects 1 in 10 pregnant women, but knowledge about screening and management practices outside university settings is limited. Objective: To provide a comprehensive picture about the current situation of screening and management of gestational diabetes at different levels of care and to highlight existing challenges. Design: We conducted a descriptive mixed methods study in the districts of Al Haouz and Marrakech by using both quantitative and qualitative methods, including document reviews of 369 antenatal cards and 299 hospital files, health facility inventories related to resource availability, 20 key informant interviews as well as focus group discussions with 32 pregnant women and exit interviews with 122 antenatal care (ANC) clients. Quantitative data were descriptively analyzed using STATA Version 13, whereas qualitative data were thematically analyzed using NVIVO Version 10. Results: The findings revealed that sensitization of women about gestational diabetes is low, and only 34.4% have ever heard about it before attending ANC. Fasting blood sugar is used for screening, and women are sent to external laboratories for testing. A fasting blood sugar of 0.92 g/l and above was documented in 12.3% of all antenatal cards examined. Women diagnosed with gestational diabetes are usually referred to a specialist despite general practitioners at health center level being responsible for the management of non-pregnant diabetic patients. Conclusions: Decentralization of screening for gestational diabetes and initial management of uncomplicated cases at the primary level of care could ease access to care and reduce the number of mothers who are diagnosed after a complication occurred.

Research paper thumbnail of Consequences of severe obstetric complications on women's health in Morocco: please, listen to me!

Tropical Medicine & International Health, 2015

objective In Morocco, medical care for women with severe obstetric complications (near-miss cases... more objective In Morocco, medical care for women with severe obstetric complications (near-miss cases) ends at discharge from the hospital. Little information exists regarding what happens after returning home. The aim of the study was to assess the physical and mental health consequences of near-miss events on Moroccan women 8 months after childbirth. methods A prospective cohort study of 76 near-miss women was conducted in three hospitals. For every case, we recruited at least two women from the same hospital who had uncomplicated deliveries (n = 169). We used a mixed-methods approach. For the quantitative part, we analysed sociodemographic characteristics collected via a questionnaire and medical complications extracted from the medical records during a medical consultation at 8 months post-partum. Forty in-depth interviews were also conducted with 20 near-miss cases and 20 women with uncomplicated deliveries. results The near-miss women were poorer and less educated than those who had uncomplicated deliveries. The proportion of physical consequences (serious illness) was higher among near-miss cases (22%) than uncomplicated deliveries (6%, P = 0.001). The risk of depression was significantly higher among near-miss cases with perinatal death (OR = 7.16; [95% CI: 2.85-17.98]) than among those who had an uncomplicated delivery. Interviews revealed that the economic burden of near-miss care contributed to social problems among the women and their households. conclusion A near-miss event has consequences that go beyond the first days after delivery. Developing new mechanisms for maternal and newborn health follow-up is essential and should address the mother's physical and mental health problems and involve husbands and family members. keywords maternal near-miss case, physical consequences, mental consequences, Morocco

Research paper thumbnail of POEM–Policy Effect Mapping