Entre la voluntad de Allah y las balas de los jnun la epidemia de peste de 1799 y 1800 en Marruecos / Between the will of Allah and the bullets of the jnun the plague epidemic of 1799 and 1800 in Morocco

La peste que golpeó Marruecos en 1799 y 1800 fue una epidemia sin precedentes. En este artículo, examino algunas observaciones hechas sobre la peste por el agente comercial británico James Grey Jackson, en particular sus ideas sobre las comprensiones islámicas locales de la agencia de los jnūn y de Dios (Allāh) en la aparición de esta enfermedad (AU)

Alarming decline of freshwater trigger species in western Mediterranean key biodiversity areas.

Theidentification of key biodiversity areas (KBA) was initiated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2004 to overcome taxonomic biases in the selection of important areas for conservation, including freshwater ecosystems. Since then, several KBAs have been identified mainly based on the presence of trigger species (i.e., species that trigger either the vulnerability and or the irreplaceability criterion and thus identify a site as a KBA). However, to our knowledge, many of these KBAs have not been validated. Therefore, classical surveys of the taxa used to identify freshwater KBAs (fishes, molluscs, odonates, and aquatic plants) were conducted in Douro (Iberian Peninsula) and Sebou (Morocco) River basins in the Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot. Environmental DNA analyses were undertaken in the Moroccan KBAs. There was a mismatch between the supposed and actual presence of trigger species. None of the trigger species were found in 43% and 50% of all KBAs surveyed in the Douro and Sebou basins, respectively. Shortcomings of freshwater KBA identification relate to flawed or lack of distribution data for trigger species. This situation results from a misleading initial identification of KBAs based on poor (or even inaccurate) ecological information or due to increased human disturbance between initial KBA identification and the present. To improve identification of future freshwater KBAs, we suggest selecting trigger species with a more conservative approach; use of local expert knowledge and digital data (to assess habitat quality, species distribution, and potential threats); consideration of the subcatchment when delineating KBAs boundaries; thoughtful consideration of terrestrial special areas for conservation limits; and periodic field validation.

Alarming decline of freshwater trigger species in western Mediterranean Key Biodiversity Areas Resumen La identificación de las áreas clave de biodiversidad (ACB) fue iniciada por la Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza en 2004 con el objetivo de sobreponerse a los sesgos taxonómicos en la selección de áreas importantes para la conservación, incluyendo los ecosistemas de agua dulce. Desde entonces, varias ACB han sido identificadas principalmente con base en la presencia de especies desencadenantes (es decir, especies que desencadenan el criterio de vulnerabilidad o de carácter irremplazable y por lo tanto identifican a un sitio como una ACB). Sin embargo, a nuestro conocimiento, muchas de estas ACB no han sido validadas. Por lo tanto, los censos clásicos de taxones utilizados para identificar las ACB de agua dulce (peces, moluscos, odonatos y plantas acuáticas) fueron realizados en las cuencas de los ríos Duero (Península Ibérica) y Sebou (Marruecos) en el Punto Caliente de Biodiversidad del Mediterráneo. Realizamos análisis de ADN ambiental en las ACB de Marruecos. Hubo una discrepancia entre la supuesta presencia y la actual presencia de especies desencadenantes. Ninguna de las especies desencadenantes se encontró en 43% y 50% de las ACB censadas en las cuencas del Duero y del Sebou, respectivamente. Las deficiencias en la identificación de las ACB de agua dulce están relacionadas con la carencia de datos o datos erróneos sobre la distribución de las especies desencadenantes. Esta situación resulta en una identificación inicial engañosa de las ACB con base en información ecológica deficiente (o incluso incorrecta) o también puede deberse al incremento en las perturbaciones humanas ocurridas entre la identificación de la ACB y el presente. Para mejorar la identificación de ACB de agua dulce en el futuro, sugerimos que la selección de especies desencadenantes se realice con un enfoque más conservador; que se usen el conocimiento local de los expertos y los datos digitales (para evaluar la calidad del hábitat, la distribución de las especies y las amenazas potenciales); que se consideren las subcuencas cuando se delimiten las fronteras de las ACB; que se consideren cuidadosamente las áreas de especies terrestres para los límites de conservación; y que se realicen validaciones periódicas de campo.

[What would you do when faced with a Muslim patient with a conversational disorder?] / ¿Qué haría usted ante un paciente musulmán con trastorno conversivo?

The purpose of this work is to present the approach to mental disorders in Moroccan patients from a sociocultural perspective. The anthropology of health and ethno-psychiatry will allow us to analyze the concepts of health and disease. From the Moroccan cosmovision we will analyze the alternative treatments and their association with other therapeutic models.

La posición geopolítica marroquí como frontera vertical de la Unión Europea / The Moroccan geopolitical position as the vertical border of the European Union

RESUMEN El siglo XXI está siendo protagonista de un cierre fronterizo sin precedentes a la libre circulación de personas, pero no de mercancías, bienes o capital, promovido por los países del norte, y en connivencia con los dirigentes de los países del sur, generando una grave fractura social. El objetivo del presente artículo fue analizar de qué manera la Unión Europea (UE), está favoreciendo la emergencia de una frontera que cruza verticalmente Marruecos (entre otros países), imposibilitando a lo largo de su territorio la llegada a la UE, no sólo de su población, sino también la procedente del resto de África. Se analizaron diferentes fuentes secundarias, producidas por organismos internacionales como la Agencia Europea de la Guardia de Fronteras y Costas, la Comisión Europea, Amnistía Internacional y Médicos Sin Fronteras. La externalización de la frontera de la UE, en el plano político, junto a la deslocalización, en el plano económico, de empresas europeas en algunos países del sur de Europa, como Marruecos, está consolidando la existencia de nuevos espacios que configuran lo que se denomina frontera vertical, donde emergen nuevos escenarios socioeconómicos y simbólicos.

ABSTRACT The XXI century has been witnessing an unprecedented border closure to the free movement of persons, rather tan that of products, goods or capital. This has been promoted by northern countries in collusion with leaders of southern countries, creating a serious social fracture. The aim of this paper was to analyze how the European Union (EU) is favoring the emergence of a border that crosses Morocco, among other countries, vertically, preventing the arrival of African migrants to the EU. Different secondary sources produced by different international organizations such as the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, the European Commission, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders and others were analyzed The findings suggest that the outs ourcing of the EU border, at the political level, together with the economic relocation of European companies in some southern countries such as Morocco, is consolidating the existence of new spaces which configure what has been termed the vertical border, where new socioeconomic and sybolic scenarios emerge.

Estado de necesidad: la Cruz Roja Española en Marruecos, 1886-1927 / A state of need: the Spanish Red Cross in Morocco, 1886-1927

Resumen Este trabajo estudia la función central que los Estados-nación continuaron teniendo en la Cruz Roja durante el periodo de entreguerras. A finales del siglo XIX, España lideró la creación de instituciones humanitarias de estilo europeo en Marruecos. Sin embargo, su secular inestabilidad como Estado, agravada por el desastre colonial de 1898, terminó con el proyecto regeneracionista de una Cruz Roja marroquí. Cuando en 1912 se estableció el protectorado español, la Cruz Roja Española quedó marginada por la competencia francesa, la internacionalización de Tánger y el rechazo local. Éste último culminó en la llamada Guerra del Rif de 1921-1927, mezcla de revuelta anticolonial y guerra internacional, que expuso de forma cruda las prolongadas necesidades del Estado español y su Cruz Roja.

Abstract This article studies the central role of nation-states in the Red Cross during the interwar period. In the late nineteenth century, Spain pioneered the creation of European-style humanitarian institutions in Morocco. However, its perennial instability as a state, aggravated by the colonial disaster of 1898, put an end to the regenerationist project of a Moroccan Red Cross. When the Spanish protectorate was established in 1912, the Spanish Red Cross was overshadowed by competition from its French counterpart, the internationalization of Tangiers and resistance from the local inhabitants. This culminated in the so-called Rif War of 1921-1927, a mixture of anticolonial revolt and international war that vividly exposed the ingrained deficiencies of the Spanish State and its Red Cross.

The free delivery and caesarean policy in Morocco: how much do households still pay?

BACKGROUND: The Free Deliveries and Caesarean Policy (FDCP) entitles all women in Morocco to deliver free of charge within public hospitals. This study assesses the policy's effectiveness by analysing household expenditures related to childbirth, by delivery type and quintile. METHODS: Structured exit survey of 973 women in six provinces at five provincial hospitals, two regional hospitals, two university hospitals and three primary health centres with maternity units. RESULTS: Households reported spending a median of US$ 59 in total for costs inside and outside of hospitals. Women requiring caesareans payed more than women with uncomplicated deliveries (P < 0.0001). The median cost was US$45 for a uncomplicated delivery, US$50 for a complicated delivery and US$65 for a caesarean section. The prescription given upon exiting the hospital comprised 62% of the total costs. Eighty-eight per cent of women from the poorest quintiles faced catastrophic expenditures. The women's perception of their hospital stay and the FDCP policy was overwhelmingly positive, but differences were noted at the various sites. CONCLUSION: The policy has been largely but not fully effective in removing financial barriers for delivery care in Morocco. More progress should also be made on increasing awareness of the policy and on easing the financial burden, which is still borne by households with lower incomes.

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

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.

Control of cutaneous leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania major in south-eastern Morocco.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major has increased in Morocco over the last decade, prompting the Ministry of Health to take intersectoral response measures including vector and reservoir control. The aim of this article was to describe the CL outbreak response measures taken in the province of Errachidia, where the reservoir of L. major, a sand rat (Meriones shawi), was targeted using strychnine-poisoned wheat baits from 2010 to 2012. METHOD: We analysed routine surveillance data and other information using the data of the CL control programme. RESULTS: We present data on the evolution and the extension of CL in this province as well as the epidemiological profile of the disease. Between 2004 and 2013, 7099 cases of CL were recorded in Errachidia Province, gradually affecting all districts. Our results demonstrate that more women were affected than men and that all age groups were represented. CONCLUSION: Errachidia Province was the epicentre of the recent CL outbreak in Morocco. A notable decline in incidence rates was observed after 2011. The outbreak control measures may have contributed to this decline, as well as climatic trends or progressing herd immunity.

[Association between hemoglobin Groene Hart and hemoglobin J-Paris-I: first case in Spain]. / Asociación de la hemoglobina Groene Hart con la hemoglobina J-París-I: primer caso en España.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Thalassemias are the most frequent monogenic disorder around the world. α-thalassemias are due to a deficiency of synthesis in the alpha-globin chain of the hemoglobin (Hb). Hb Groene Hart is a hyperunstable variant. In this work, we have studied 24 cases affected by Hb Groene Hart, one of them associated with Hb J-Paris-I. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-four patients from 17 unrelated families were included in this study. The characterization was done by sequencing. RESULTS: α1 gene sequencing showed the mutation CCT→TCT (Pro→Ser) at codon 119 (Hb Groene Hart) in all patients. In one case, there was an association with Hb J-Paris-I. CONCLUSIONS: In the Hb Groene Hart, the residue 119 of alpha-globin chain is affected. This amino acid has a key role in preserving the stability of alpha-globin chain. It is also remarkable the presence of this variant in both the immigrant and native population. Thus, the identification of Hb Groene Hart carriers should be considered in the screening of α-thalassemia in Spain, as it is done in Northern Africa.

Melliferous floaa and apiculture in the pre-rif of the province of taza (north of Mroocco) / Floramelifera y la apicultura en el pre-rif de la provincia de taza (norte de Marruecos)

To quantify the plant diversity values in the Pre-Rif of the province of Taza (North of Morocco), as an environmental economic approach, investigations and field surveys have highlighted values of the local melliferous flora for apiculture. Honey flora, whose population pulls profit, consists mainly of 28 species and interests also itinerant beekeepers. We estimated an average of 12.1±10.8 beekeepers by rural settlement or "douar", of which 66.3% are itinerant and 33.7% are sedentary, and an average of 36.3±30.4 hives by apiarist. Moreover, several types of honeys are produced locally and consumed extensively as a health food. The hive yield in honey is depending on the foraged species: low for Origanum spp., Thymus spp. and Arbutus unedo, and high for Anthyllis cytisoides, Rosmarinus officinalis, Ceratonia siliqua and Ziziphus lotus. The direct benefits of honey flora are assessed to 14,859 MAD.beekeeper-1.year-1.

Para cuantificar los valores de diversidad de plantas en el Pre-Rif de la provincia de Taza (Norte de Marruecos), como un enfoque económico del medio ambiente, investigaciones y encuestas de campo han subrayado valores de la flora melífera local para la apicultura. La flora melífera, cuya población saca beneficio, se compone principalmente de 28 especies y interesa también a los apicultores itinerantes. Se estimó un promedio de 12,1±10,8 apicultores por asentamiento rural o "douar", de los cuales 66,3% son itinerantes y el 33,7% son sedentarios, y un promedio de 36,3±30,4 colmenas por apicultor. Por otra parte, varios tipos de mieles se producen localmente y se consume ampliamente como un alimento saludable. La producción de miel en la colmena depende de la especie forrajera: baja para Origanum spp., Thymus spp. y Arbutus unedo, y alta para Anthyllis cytisoides, Rosmarinus officinalis,.

Medicinal and cosmetic use of plants from the province of Taza, Northern Morocco / Uso medicinal y cosmético de las plantas de la provincia de Taza, Norte de Marruecos

This work aims to make an inventory of plants and their medicinal and cosmetic uses in the Pre-Rif (foothills of the Rif, a massif in Northern Morocco) of the province of Taza. Following ethnobotanical investigations, carried out with the local population and field surveys, 73 plant species used locally in traditional medicine have been identified, as well as six species which have ethno-veterinary properties. They belong to 39 botanical families and were collected essentially in the study area. Most remedies are prepared as decoctions (40 species) or with an aqueous base (infusion, aqueous macerate-8 species); more species are used for internal or oral administration (61 species) compared with external or local ones (27 species). These plants, 14.8 percent of which are central to herbalists’ activity in the region, are widely used in indigenous pharmacopoeia to treat common symptoms, such as gastrointestinal disorders (33 species), articular-system disruption, ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) diseases and headaches (24 species), and skin problems (11 species). Moreover, 13 species in particular are used by women for cosmetic purposes. The local population uses medicinal plant species for daily care which may increase the pressure on natural resources, e.g. vulnerable species such as Origanum compactum and Rosmarinus officinalis. Hence, the adoption of a sustainable-management approach to safeguard and preserve the local medicinal flora is urgent.

El propósito de este trabajo es el de realizar un inventario de plantas, sus usos medicinales y cosméticos en el Pre-Rif (estribaciones del Rif, un macizo en el norte de Marruecos) de la provincia de Taza. A partir de investigaciones etnobotánicas realizadas con la población local y de estudios de campo, se han identificado 73 especies de plantas (pertenecientes a 39 familias), utilizadas localmente en la medicina tradicional, seis de las cuales tienen además usos etno-veterinarios. La mayor parte de estas especies fueron recolectadas en la región. La mayoría de los remedios se preparan en decocciones (40 especies), o con una base acuosa (infusión, maceración acuosa - 8 especies). Del mismo modo, la mayor parte de las especies se administran por vía oral o interna (61 especies), en comparación con aquellas aplicadas de modo externo o local (27 especies). Estas plantas, 14,8 por ciento de las cuales son en el centro de la actividad de los herbolarios de la región, son ampliamente utilizadas en la farmacopea indígena para atenuar síntomas comunes, tales como trastornos gastrointestinales (33 especies), alteraciones articulares, enfermedades otorrinológicas (oído, nariz y garganta), dolores de cabeza (24 especies) y problemas de la piel (11 especies). Además, 13 especies son especialmente utilizadas por las mujeres para fines cosméticos. El uso cotidiano de la población local de estas especies medicinales podría acentuar la presión sobre los recursos naturales, es decir, las especies vulnerables tales como Origanum compactum y Rosmarinus officinalis. Por lo tanto, es urgente gestionar un manejo sostenible de estos recursos de modo de garantizar su protección y preservación.