A 16-year epidemiological profile of hemoglobinopathies in Morocco: A hospital-based retrospective study

Hemoglobinopathies are the most prevalent genetic disease worldwide, and they are an endemic disease in Morocco. The objective of this study was to highlight the epidemiological profile of the most frequent hemoglobinopathies in Morocco. This was a retrospective cohort study over a period of 16 years in the Laboratory Department of the Rabat Military Hospital in Morocco, from July 2003 to July 2019. The authors recorded 615 cases of hemoglobinopathies. The frequencies were 36.6% of heterozygous hemoglobin A/S, 27.6% of heterozygous hemoglobin A/C, and 17.7% of β-thalassemia trait with some atypical profiles, including homozygous forms and compound heterozygous forms of hemoglobinopathies. The findings underscore the need for public awareness, neonatal screening, and a national hemoglobinopathy control program in Morocco.