Bouchra Assarag

• Doctor of Public Health
• PhD en sciences de santé publique at NATIONAL SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALT MOROCCO

Information about postpartum maternal morbidity in developing countries is limited and often based on information obtained from hospitals. As a result, the reports do not usually reflect the true magnitude of obstetric complications and poor management at delivery. In Morocco, little is known about obstetric maternal morbidity. Our aim was to measu...

Information about postpartum reproductive morbidity in developing countries is scanty and mainly based on information obtained from hospitals which are not usually reflecting the true magnitude of the disease burden and affecting the quality of care. InMorocco, studies on obstetric maternal morbidity are rare and research is warranted to convince c...

Background The epidemic of diabetes mellitus is spreading throughout the world. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a transitory form of diabetes first recognized during pregnancy, is a known harbinger of future type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, and cardiac disease. To prevent the future onset of T2DM in mothers and offspring, prevent...

Background High rates of maternal mortality and morbidity remain significant health issues in low- and middle-income countries. Despite this, few researchers have investigated the underlying factors of severe maternal complications in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review was to determine the socioeconomic, demograp...

Introduction The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is characterised by major health disparities and complex migration flows. Yet, because of a lack of epidemiological data, there is an urgent need to strengthen routine data collection around migrant health and to define key indicators towards migrant health monitoring. To address this prob...

Background Between 2000 and 2017/2018, Morocco reduced its maternal mortality ratio by 68% and its neonatal mortality rate by 52%—a higher improvement than other North African countries. We conducted the Exemplars in Maternal and Neonatal Health study to systematically and comprehensively research factors associated with this rapid reduction in mor...

Background Pregnancy-related infections are important contributors to maternal sepsis and mortality. We aimed to describe clinical, microbiological characteristics and use of antibiotics by source of infection and country income, among hospitalized women with suspected or confirmed pregnancy-related infections. Methods We used data from WHO Global...

Résumé Les avortements à risque constituent une problématique majeure de santé publique, responsable de la mortalité et de la morbidité maternelles et absorbant les ressources des systèmes de santé publique à l’échelle mondiale. Malgré l’ampleur très probable du problème de l’avortement non sécurisé au Maroc, peu de données sont accessibles sur cet...

Background Few early-career researchers are working on rights-based knowledge production in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in francophone Africa. To accelerate the generation and dissemination of evidence in the field of SRH and rights, young researchers need support. One form of support is the setting up of a mentorship program embedded in a...

RésuméUne expérience positive de l'accouchement (EPA) est fondamentale pour des soins maternels de qualité. Toutefois, de nombreuses femmes subissent des comportements non respectueux lors de ce moment crucial. Au Maroc, peu d'études ont mesuré cette expérience, et les éléments l'influençant demeurent insuffisamment documentés. Nous avons conduit u...

In Morocco, the Ministry of Health has mobilized several efforts to improve maternal and newborn health over the past decades. Despite progress, the high risk of death during pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal is still a concern. Obstetricians highly regard this and require them to undertake ongoing research to promote optimal pregnancy and birth...

Today, cesarean section rates are increasing worldwide for varied and complex reasons. To examine this more closely, several countries have adopted the 10-group classification of cesarean sections, also known as the Robson classification. This classification aims to monitor and compare cesarean section rates in a standard, reliable, and indication-...

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is strongly associated with the future risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Women with GDM have a 10 times higher risk than women without GDM over a 10-year follow-up period. The objective of this review is to synthesise the existing evidence regarding women's views and experiences of the emotional and practi...

Background Obstetric infections are the third most common cause of maternal mortality, with the largest burden in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). We analyzed causes of infection-related maternal deaths and near-miss identified contributing factors and generated suggested actions for quality of care improvement. Method An international, vi...

Morocco has experienced a steady stream of reforms, including considerable changes in the health sector. Hospitals have been notably reformed, given their importance and their stakes. As a result, several deep and costly reforms have promoted the modernization of their management and organization to maximize their efficiency. Thus, the hospital ref...

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 Articl...

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...

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 Articl...

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...

Background In low and middle incomes countries (LMICs), health policies failed to reduce significantly maternal and neonatal mortality rates. This was attributed to inequitable access to care and to poor governance of local health systems. In Morocco, there are still regional disparities with access to maternal care, and poor governance of regional...

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially impacted maternity care provision worldwide. Studies based on modelling estimated large indirect effects of the pandemic on services and health outcomes. The objective of this study was to prospectively document experiences of frontline maternal and newborn healthcare providers. METHODS: We cond...

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially impacted maternity care provision worldwide. Studies based on modelling estimated large indirect effects of the pandemic on services and health outcomes. The objective of this study was to prospectively document experiences of frontline maternal and newborn healthcare providers. Methods We condu...

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk for a future type 2 diabetes mellitus in women and their children. As linkage between maternal health and non-communicable diseases, antenatal care plays a key role in the primary and secondary prevention of GDM associated adverse outcomes. While implementing a lo...

Objective To prospectively document experiences of frontline maternal and newborn healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Cross-sectional study via an online survey disseminated through professional networks and social media in 12 languages. We analysed responses using descriptive statistics and qualitative thematic analysis disag...

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...

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk for a future type 2 diabetes mellitus in women and their children. As linkage between maternal health and non-communicable diseases, antenatal care plays a key role in the primary and secondary prevention of GDM associated adverse outcomes. While implementing a loc...

UNSTRUCTURED The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020. Countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) have a high vulnerability and variable capacity to respond to outbreaks. Many of these countries addressed the need for increasing capacity in the...

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the current COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020. Countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) have a high vulnerability and variable capacity to respond to outbreaks. Many of these countries addressed the need for increasing capacity in the areas of surv...

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk for a future type 2 diabetes mellitus in women and their children. As linkage between maternal health and non-communicable diseases, antenatal care plays a key role in the primary and secondary prevention of GDM associated adverse outcomes. While implementing a loc...

Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk for a future diabetes mellitus in women and their children. As linkage between maternal health and non-communicable diseases, antenatal care plays a key role in the primary and secondary prevention of GDM associated adverse outcomes. While implementing a locally ada...

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk for a future type 2 diabetes mellitus in women and their children. As linkage between maternal health and non-communicable diseases, antenatal care plays a key role in the primary and secondary prevention of GDM associated adverse outcomes. While implementing a loc...

Background Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) testing and management in Morocco is associated with delays resulting in late commencement of treatment. To reduce delays and to increase access of women to GDM care, a country-adapted intervention targeting primary health care providers was designed to test the hypothesis that detection and initial ma...

Study protocol French. (PDF)

Study protocol English. (PDF)

Background 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...

Introduction: 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). Methods: Structured interviews with 100 doctors, midwives and nurses at 44 randomly selected public he...

The objective of this study was to document maternal and child health care workers‘ knowledge, attitudes and practices on service delivery before, during and after the 2014 EVD outbreak in rural Guinea. We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study in ten health districts between October and December 2015, using a standardized self-administered...

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 existin...

Health research capacities have been improved in Africa but still remain weak as compared to other regions of the World. To strengthen these research capacities, international collaboration and networking for knowledge and capacity transfer are needed. In this commentary, we present the Network for Scientific Support in the field of Sexual and Repr...

Objective: To explore the usefulness of neonatal near-miss in low and middle income countries by examining the incidence of neonatal near-miss and pre-discharge neonatal deaths across various obstetric risk categories in 17 hospitals in Benin, Burkina Faso and Morocco. Methods: Data were collected on all maternal deaths, maternal near-miss, neon...

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....

Objectives To examine trends in the utilisation of facility-based delivery care and caesareans in Morocco between 1987 and 2012, particularly among the poor; and to assess whether uptake increased at the time of introduction of policies or programmes aimed at improving access to intrapartum care.Methods Using data from nationally-representative hou...

In Morocco, there is little information on the circumstances surrounding maternal near misses. This study aimed to determine the incidence, characteristics, and determinants of maternal near misses in Morocco. A prospective case-control study was conducted at 3 referral maternity hospitals in the Marrakech region of Morocco between February and Jul...

Contexte L’objectif de notre étude à la préfecture de Skhirat-Témara est d’expliquer les facteurs associés au non-utilisation de la consultation postnatale. Méthodes Nous avons réalisé, une étude descriptive mixte du 4 mars au 30 avril 2013, utilisant deux questionnaires prétestés ; l’un pour 205 femmes au niveau de trois maisons d’accouchement do...