Morocco’s Silent Killers: 25,000 Scorpion Stings Annually Threaten Rural Children

These figures were revealed by Abdelkrim Meziane Belkih, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Health, during a study day organized on Tuesday, July 1st at the Poison Control and Pharmacovigilance Center in Rabat. Delivering the message of Minister Amine Tehraoui on this occasion, he recalled that the phenomenon particularly affects "rural areas, families living in isolated areas and vulnerable social categories", stressing that this situation calls for "a rigorous, rapid and equitable response".

The regions of Marrakech-Safi, Souss-Massa, Béni-Mellal-Khénifra, Drâa-Tafilalet and Casablanca-Settat are particularly affected by these scorpion stings and snake bites. Children under the age of 15 are the most at risk of death due to the small size of their bodies and the vulnerability of their vital organs, he explained. On average, 25,000 cases of scorpion stings and nearly 250 cases of snake bites are recorded each year in Morocco, the official said, noting that these alarming figures reveal "a serious medical reality that cannot be underestimated or ignored."

The Minister of Health, in his message read by the Secretary General of the Ministry, also lists aggravating factors such as "geographical remoteness, lack of information, or difficulty in rapid access to appropriate treatment". The national strategy to combat poisoning, in place for 20 years and based on "four fundamental pillars: prevention, medical care, epidemiological surveillance and community awareness", has made it possible to reduce the mortality rate related to scorpion stings from "2.37% to 0.14%" and the mortality rate due to snake bites from "7.2% to 1.9%".

For Abdelkrim Meziane Belkih, these figures reflect "tangible progress in public health, made possible by collective commitment and the effectiveness of the measures adopted." Despite these encouraging results, challenges remain, the official said, before insisting: "The ’zero death’ objective, although ambitious, remains a legitimate goal, based on a both human and ethical commitment. Every life saved counts, and this is a duty that the State must assume towards all citizens, without exception or discrimination."

Regarding the management of scorpion sting and snake bite cases, the official said that the ministry has acquired more than 1,200 therapeutic units for the treatment of scorpion stings and 600 doses of antivenom serum against snake bites this year. These units and doses have been distributed among the different regions and university hospital centers of the kingdom. In case of a sting or bite, the Secretary General of the Ministry recommends going "immediately" to the nearest health center. A week of awareness-raising under the theme "Let’s protect ourselves against poisoning from snakes and scorpions" is being organized by the Ministry from July 1st to 8th, he announced.