Pollution and environmental degradation cost Moroccan children 133,200 healthy life-years

Published in June 2026, the analysis is based on 2021 data from the Global Burden of Disease study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). It examines 16 risk factors, including air pollution, water and sanitation, exposure to lead and extreme temperatures. The report by the Ministry of Health and UNICEF

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The authors estimate that 133,200 disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were lost among Moroccans under 18 because of these factors. This indicator combines the years lost due to premature death and those lived with an illness or disability. It therefore does not correspond to a number of deaths.

This burden represents 1,031 healthy life-years lost per 100,000 children and young people.

Air pollution takes a particularly heavy toll

Air pollution from particulate matter is one of the main factors identified. It is associated with 67,453 DALYs among those under 18, representing more than half of the total burden attributed to the environmental and climate factors studied.

The youngest children account for most of these losses. Of the 133,200 DALYs recorded, 112,892 concern children under five. For particulate-matter air pollution alone, this age group accounts for 65,004 DALYs.

Exposure to lead is another cause for concern. The study attributes 4,511 DALYs to it among those under 18. UNICEF also estimates that nearly 1.9 million children in Morocco could have blood lead levels above the reference threshold used in its estimates, even though the sources of exposure remain insufficiently documented.

The report therefore recommends a national survey to directly measure children’s exposure to lead and identify its main sources. More broadly, it calls for stronger monitoring of the effects of air pollution, heat stress and water scarcity on health.

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The 133,200 lost years remain an estimate calculated from 2021 data, rather than a count of illnesses or deaths recorded in 2026. Nevertheless, they provide a measure of the considerable burden that environmental risks place on the health of Moroccan children.