By Samuel SAM
Ghana experiences extremely high rates of contaminated foods annually, leading to widespread food poisoning, hospitalisations and deaths.
According to the Environmental Health Management and Sanitation Units (EHS) of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the country reports over 626,000 cases of food poisoning each year. This results in approximately 298,100 hospitalisations annually and over 90,000 deaths, contributing to about 14 percent of all hospitalisations. The government incurs losses exceeding US$70million annually in efforts to mitigate the food-borne disease burden.
Africa as a whole faces about 135 million cases of contaminated food annually, resulting in over 140,000 deaths, as reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This issue particularly affects children and the poor. Globally, one in ten people fall ill from contaminated food each year, with over 200 diseases caused by such contamination.
In light of these alarming statistics, the public is urged to exercise caution by avoiding unhygienic food and agricultural products. This includes checking labels, health certificates of facilities, and the manufacturing and expiration dates of products.
These concerns were highlighted at the Northern Regional launch of World Food Safety Day held in Tamale. This year’s event, themed ‘Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected’, aimed to raise awareness about the significance of food safety and the role of the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) in educating the public to prepare for food safety incidents.
The event gathered policy-makers, food safety authorities, food business operators, farmers and consumers to ensure food safety in Ghana.
Nora Narkie Terlabie, Director of Regional Operations at the FDA, emphasised the need for the public to avoid uncertified and unapproved food products for human safety. She also urged adherence to FDA directives and checking for FDA approval on packaged products.
Glenn Lines, Chief of Party for USAID – Market System and Resilience Activity in the Northern Region, underscored the importance of promoting food safety.
Mr. Zakaria Braimah, Northern Regional Manager for the FDA, highlighted that access to safe and nutritious foods is crucial for good health, longevity and prosperity. He urged the public to pay close attention to product labels, expiration dates and FDA seals to ensure authenticity; and to patronise well-packaged and hygienically handled products.
Traders and food operators were advised to source their products from credible sources to avoid creating health crises in the country.
Dr. Ernest Bonah, Principal Regulatory Officer at FDA Tamale, called for dedicated efforts from all stakeholders to promote food safety. He mentioned that the FDA would continue rigorous monitoring to remove unapproved products from the market and punish violators to serve as a deterrent.
In commemoration of World Food Safety Day, the FDA conducted awareness campaigns at Tamale Central Market and Aboabo Market to sensitise market women on the importance of food safety, promoting the sale of well-packaged and hygienically handled products.
