Alarming Rise in Plant Poisonings Prompts Moroccan Health Warning

In a recent publication, the CAPM insists on the need to establish a legal framework to control the import, distribution and marketing of plants and other traditional pharmacopoeia products. The Center calls for vigilance on the part of consumers, given the significant number of plant poisonings recorded in recent years.

In a study conducted from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2019, the CAPM indicates that it received 1,826 reports of poisonings caused by 183 plants and traditional pharmacopoeia products, with an average of 166 cases per year. For the period 2017 to 2019, the average incidence was 11.87 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and zero cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the southern regions of Morocco.

The majority of poisonings occurred in urban areas (79.8%), particularly in the prefectures of Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakech and Fès, the study notes, specifying that 10.9% of poisonings were caused by castor oil and 10% by sticky thistle. In 53.4% of cases, the victims presented gastrointestinal (47.5%) or neurological (24.05%) signs. A total of 67 deaths were recorded, of which 66.7% were children.

Sticky thistle is the cause of 19.4% of deaths (13 cases), compared to 13.43% (9 cases) for the mixture of plants and 7.46% (5 cases) for castor oil. The CAPM has already implemented a protocol for dealing with poisonings by the various incriminated plants. In another study conducted between 2009 and 2021, the Center reveals that 30% of the poisoned subjects are children with an average age of 4.6 years.