Genetic disorders in Morocco

Abstract

Morocco is a North African country with a population of nearly 35 million and an area about 710,000 km2. Morocco has international borders with Algeria in the East, the Mediterranean sea in the North, and Mauritania in the South. The Berbers were the earliest known inhabitants of Morocco; they have inhabited the country since the earliest recorded time. Through the centuries, Berbers have mixed with many other ethnic groups: the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans (first century bc), Vandals (fifth century ad), Byzantines (sixth century), and finally the Arabs who began bringing their civilization in the seventh century. This admixture of populations grew richer by the African migration from the South. Contrary to many Arab countries, Morocco was not under the Ottoman rule. On religious grounds, Morocco is homogeneous Sunnite Muslim ethnic group (>99%) with a Jewish minority. In 1948, approximately 265,000 Jews lived in Morocco; most of them left the country for Palestine. The Jewish population is currently down to 4,000. The beginning of the twentieth century knew different migration waves of Moroccans toward countries of the North. Currently nearly three million Moroccans live outside the country, mainly in Europe. These populations benefit from the health and research structures of the host countries, allowing the identification of several hereditary diseases and gene mutations in patients from Moroccan origin.