Moroccans’ ethnobotanical knowledge about medicinal tar

International audienceTar has been employed by humans since antiquity due to its importance and benefits. Up until now, it is still used in traditional medicine in different countries including Morocco. Using a quantitative research method, this study sheds light on the traditional properties and usage of tar from various social class perspectives in Morocco. To collect data about the general knowledge about tar, three groups of people were given an ethnobotanical questionnaire: general population, herbalists, and tar producers. An online survey was delivered to the general population, while a semi-structured questionnaire was employed to interview the other groups.The online participants were evenly split into two groups according to their gender. Also, there were twelve males for every one female for the herbalists, whereas the producers were entirely males. Tar usage was roughly the same across all three categories. Participants mentioned Juniperus sp., Cedrus sp., and more, herbalists mentioned Eucalyptus sp., Olea sp., and the producers mentioned Yew. For tar production, the online participants and herbalists knew the procedure with a percentage of 21% and 40% respectively, followed by 100% for producers. In this study, producers have more information and understanding about tar production than herbalists, who have a better knowledge about tar usage. Furthermore, medicinal tar is an intriguing product that deserves to be respected

The distribution of new HIV infections by mode of exposure in Morocco.

OBJECTIVES: Building on a wealth of new empirical data, the objective of this study was to estimate the distribution of new HIV infections in Morocco by mode of exposure using the modes of transmission (MoT) mathematical model. METHODS: The MoT model was implemented within a collaboration with the Morocco Ministry of Health and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. The model was parameterised through a comprehensive review and synthesis of HIV and risk behaviour data in Morocco, mainly through the Middle East and North Africa HIV/AIDS Synthesis Project. Uncertainty analyses were used to assess the reliability of and uncertainty around our calculated estimates. RESULTS: Female sex workers (FSWs), clients of FSWs, men who have sex with men (MSM) and injecting drug users (IDUs) contributed 14%, 24%, 14% and 7% of new HIV infections, respectively. Two-thirds (67%) of new HIV infections occurred among FSWs, clients of FSWs, MSM and IDUs, or among the stable sexual partners of these populations. Casual heterosexual sex contributed 7% of HIV infections. More than half (52%) of HIV incidence is among females, but 71% of these infections are due to an infected spouse. The vast majority of HIV infections among men (89%) are due to high-risk behaviour. A very small HIV incidence is predicted to arise from medical injections or blood transfusions (0.1%). CONCLUSIONS: The HIV epidemic in Morocco is driven by HIV incidence in high-risk population groups, with commercial heterosexual sex being the largest contributor to incidence. There is a need to focus HIV response more on these populations, mainly through proactive and sustainable HIV surveillance, and the expansion and increased geographical coverage of services such as condom promotion among FSWs, voluntary counselling and testing, harm reduction and treatment

Mapping of new HIV infections in Morocco and impact of select interventions

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess HIV modes of exposure in Morocco at the national level and also for Souss-Massa-Drâa, the region most affected by HIV. Another aim was to assess the impact of different scenarios of select intervention packages. Methods: The Modes of Transmission Model was adapted and used, and was parameterized using quality bio-behavioral surveillance data among key populations, routine data sources, and literature reviews. Results: Nationally in 2013, the largest number of new infections occurred among clients of female sex workers (FSWs) (25%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 14–37%), followed by men who have sex with men (MSM) (22%; 95% CI 12–35%), HIV serodiscordant couples (22%; 95% CI 12–34%), FSWs (11%; 95% CI 6–18%), and people who inject drugs (5%; 95% CI 2–9%). A similar pattern of results was observed in Souss-Massa-Drâa, but the HIV incidence rate was four-fold that at the national level. Different scenarios of feasible intervention packages reduced HIV incidence by 8–44%. Conclusions: Commercial heterosexual sex networks continue as the leading driver of the epidemic, with half of HIV incidence. A quarter of new infections occurred among MSM, a third of which in Souss-Massa-Drâa. Feasible expanded coverage of interventions could lead to large reductions in incidence. Keywords: Mathematical model, Modes of transmission, Interventions, Morocco, Middle East and North Afric