Posted on August, 22, 2018 at 10:47 am
EAST African Community (EAC) has embarked on concrete steps to control and prevent Aflatoxin amid the official launch of nine sets of policy briefs on the poisonous substance.
During the launch in Nairobi, Kenya it was declared that the EAC Secretariat has prioritised Aflatoxin prevention and control as one of its flagship projects.
The Principal Secretary (PS) in Kenya’s State Department of Agriculture Research, Ministry of Agriculture, Professor Hamadi Boga officiated the launch on behalf of Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Irrigation.
A communiqué availed here by the EAC Secretariat Head of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department, Mr Owora Othieno quoted Professor Boga as saying that Africa loses up to 670 million US dollars annually in lost exports due to Aflatoxin contamination, with about 40 per cent of foods in the domestic markets exceeding allowable levels of Aflatoxin in foods.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes Aflatoxin as poisonous substances produced by certain kinds of fungi found naturally and posing a serious health risk to humans and livestock.
They also pose significant economic burden, leading to destruction of over 25 per cent of the world’s food crops, annually. Most human exposure comes from nuts and grains.
The PS said that the nine sets of policy briefs on Aflatoxin contain key recommendations on strategic policy actions and interventions required to mitigate the impacts and effects of Aflatoxin.
Existing efforts to mitigate Aflatoxin at national level have remained fragmented and not adequately supported, technically and financially.
The 36th meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers directed partner states to mainstream EAC Aflatoxin Prevention and Control Strategy priorities in their national budgets and national agriculture investment plans.
The EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Mr Christophe Bazivamo noted that Aflatoxin prevention and control is one of the flagship programmes that the EAC Secretariat is implementing and that the programme’s overall goal is to contribute to food and nutrition security as well as protect human, animal and plant health in the region from the adverse impacts of Aflatoxin.
The meeting was organised by EAC in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
In attendance were government officers from the line ministries of agriculture and livestock in the EAC partner states as well as academicians, researchers, animal health experts, food safety and nutrition experts.
They shared experiences, lessons learned, new technologies, challenges and recommendations with regard to Aflatoxin mitigation.
Closing the session, the Chairperson of the East African Legislative Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources, Mr Mathias Kasamba commended USAID Kenya and East Africa for funding the EAC Aflatoxin Prevention and Control project.
Source: Daily News