ABSTRACT
Background: Since 1990, the maternal mortality significantly decreased at global scale as well as the North Africa and Middle East. However, estimates for mortality and morbidity by cause and age at national scale in this region are not available. Method(s): This study is part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors study (GBD) 2019. Here we report maternal mortality and morbidity by age and cause across 21 countries in the region from 1990 to 2019. Result(s): Between 1990 and 2019, maternal mortality ratio (MMR) dropped from 148.8 (129.6-171.2) to 94.3 (73.4-121.1) per 100 000 live births in North Africa and Middle East. In 1990, MMR ranged from 6.0 (5.3-6.8) in Kuwait to 502.9 (375.2-655.3) per 100 000 live births in Afghanistan. Respective figures for 2019 were 5.1 (4.0-6.4) in Kuwait to 269.9 (195.8-368.6) in Afghanistan. Percentages of deaths under 25 years was 26.0% in 1990 and 23.8% in 2019. Maternal hemorrhage, indirect maternal deaths, and other maternal disorders rank 1st to 3rd in the entire region. Ultimately, there was an evident decrease in MMR along with increase in socio-demographic index from 1990 to 2019 in all countries in the region and an evident convergence across nations. Conclusion(s): MMR has significantly declined in the region since 1990 and only five countries (Afghanistan, Sudan, Yemen, Morocco, and Algeria) out of 21 nations didn't achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 70 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2019. Despite the convergence in trends, there are still disparities across countries.Copyright © 2022 Academy of Medical Sciences of I.R. Iran. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background: Depression and anxiety are the psychological problems that have intensified during Covid-19 and have affected the psychological well-being of people. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the prevalence of anxiety and depression in Middle East countries. Methods: In this review, we searched for studies aiming to estimate the prevalence of depression and anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic among the general population in databases including Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar from January 2020 to February 2021. We used the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis-2 software for data analyses and generated forest plots of the summary pooled prevalence. Results: In this systematic review, 55 articles with a total sample size of 28128 people were included. The pooled analysis of depression and anxiety amid the pandemic was estimated at 41% and 39%, respectively. Based on the study results, Iraq and Egypt had the highest prevalence rates of depression at 88% and 82%, respectively. Regarding anxiety, the highest and lowest prevalence rates were reported for Egypt with 91% and Qatar with 17%. Conclusion: To effectively provide mental health services for people, particularly the ones who are suspected of higher risk of depression and anxiety, it is necessary to identify individuals who are more likely to be suffered from psychological problems. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.