WHO Report: Morocco 7th in Africa for Tobacco Consumption

Rabat – A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals Morocco’s concerning level of tobacco use, ranking 7th in Africa for number of smokers and 14th in the Eastern Mediterranean. With over 3.4 million adult smokers nationwide, tobacco consumption remains a pressing public health issue.

The WHO’s global analysis shows overall declining smoking rates worldwide – down from 1 in 3 adults in 2000 to 1 in 5 today.

Morocco, however, lags behind global and regional trends. Recent national surveys found smoking is prevalent in 13.4% of adults, but with a stark gender divide; 27% among men compared to less than 0.5% among women.

This gender gap partly explains Morocco’s high regional ranking for number of smokers, surpassed only by Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Madagascar in Africa.

According to the WHO, Africa has seen slower declines in tobacco use compared to other regions.

While some countries like Brazil and Netherlands have implemented strong tobacco control policies, Morocco continues to face industry interference undermining public health efforts.

According to a study conducted by Morocco’s Ministry of Health in 2021 on the epidemiological and economic impact of smoking, tobacco in Morocco was responsible for 74,000 prevalent cases of ischemic heart disease and 4,227 new annual cases of lung cancer in 2019.

Also noted as an alarming trend is the “tobacco epidemic transition”, as smoking habits are passed to the younger generation, with high rates in young Moroccan boys and men.

On this year’s World No Tobacco Day, the WHO is calling on all countries to protect children from tobacco industry manipulation, according to the report. The “Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023” from the WHO highlights that the tobacco industry continues to interfere with public health policies around the world, including targeting youth with marketing tactics.

The report urges accelerated efforts for tobacco control, as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Strengthening implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is noted as a global health priority. Additionally, WHO states they they stands ready to support countries defending evidence-based tobacco control measures in the face of industry interference.