OBJECTIVES: IPF is a chronic fibrotic lung disease of unknown cause that occurs in adults and has a poor prognosis. The rarity of the disease means that local information is scarce. We therefore aimed to identify the epidemiology of IPF patients in Morocco.

METHODS: A cross-functional survey was conducted with 9 pulmology experts from the reference hospital centers across Morocco, to describe prevalence, incidence and clinical characteristics of IPF patients. Data were collected using local registries complemented with experts’ opinion where required. Epidemiological data was then projected over the total county’s population, based on catchment areas for each hospital center.

RESULTS: Within the 9 centers enrolled in the study, overall, 278 existing IPF patients were identified and 134 patients were newly diagnosed in 2021. Extrapolated to the whole country, this translated as an estimated 457 patients living with IPF in Morocco and 220 new cases diagnosed every year. Thus, prevalence and incidence were estimated at 1.26 and 0.61 cases per 100,000 per year, respectively. IPF was more frequent in men with a proportion of 75% and increased with age particularly beyond age 60. The average reported age at diagnosis was 61.

CONCLUSIONS:

This is the first epidemiology study for IPF in Morocco. Both observed incidence and prevalence were pointedly below figures reported in mature markets, however those were in line with similar studies in neighboring countries. This does not indicate that IPF is less common in the region but most likely that it is underdiagnosed. This could highlight a need to develop awareness and education around IPF.