Ambient air pollution and emergency department visits among children and adults in Casablanca, Morocco.

This study presents the relationships between ambient air pollutants and morbidity and emergency department visits among children and adults performed in Great Casablanca, the most populated and economic region in Morocco. This research was analyzed using conditional Poisson model for the period 2011-2013. In the period of study, the daily average concentrations of SO2, NO2, O3 and PM10 in Casablanca were 209.4 µg/m3, 61 µg/m3, 113.2 µg/m3 and 75.1 µg/m3, respectively. In children less than 5 years old, risk of asthma could be increased until 12% per 10 µg/m3 increase in NO2, PM10, SO2 and O3. In children over 5 years and adults, an increase of 10 µg/m3 air pollutant can cause an increase until 3% and 4% in respiratory consultations and acute respiratory infection, respectively. Similarly, impact on emergency department visits due to respiratory and cardiac illness was established. Our results suggest a not negligible impact on morbidity of outdoor air pollution by NO2, SO2, O3, and PM10.

Smoking-attributable mortality in Morocco: results of a prevalence-based study in Casablanca.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco control measurements' had little impact on smoking prevalence in Morocco. The aim of this study is to provide first data on smoking attributable mortality in Morocco. METHOD: The Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Morbidity and Economic Costs (SAMMEC) software was used to estimate the smoking attributable mortality (SAM) in Casablanca region in 2012. Smoking prevalence and mortality data of people aged 35 years or older were obtained from the national survey on tobacco "Marta" and from Health Ministry Mortality System, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 5261deaths of persons aged 35 years and older, 508 (9.7%) were attributable to cigarette smoking. This total represents 16.2% of all male deaths (n =448) and 2.0% (n =80) of all female deaths in this region. The leading four causes of smoking attributable deaths were lung cancer (177), chronic airways obstruction (76), ischemic heart disease (39), and cerebrovascular disease (31). CONCLUSION: Tobacco use caused one out of six deaths in Casablanca in 2012. Four leading causes (lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and chronic airways obstruction,) accounted for 51.6% of SAM. Effective and comprehensive actions must be taken in order to slow this epidemic in Morocco.