AU to establish Africa Food Safety Agency to strengthen continent-wide standards
The move is in response to Africa's disproportionate burden of food-borne illnesses, which affects 91 million people and results in 137,000 deaths annually, one-third of the global mortality due to food-borne diseases, the statement quoted the World Health Organization as saying.
The African Union (AU) announced Wednesday that the Africa Food Safety Agency will be established shortly in a bid to enhance food safety across the continent.
The AU said in a statement that the agency will serve as its specialised technical institution, dedicated to coordinating food safety policies, regulations, and risk assessment frameworks across Africa.
More To Read
- African Union pushes UN to adopt new map showing Africa’s actual scale
- EAC and SADC back Africa-led framework to end Eastern DRC conflict
- African Union urges members to make bold decisions to transform agricultural sector
- Kenya pushes for strict pesticide ban across COMESA bloc
- Over 31,000 schools equipped with farming tools, as 4K Clubs revived to foster agricultural skills countrywide
- Turkana engages farmers, stakeholders on draft agricultural policy which seeks to boost farming
During the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which was held in February in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, the AU adopted a statute for the establishment of the Africa Food Safety Agency.
The adoption marked a "significant advancement" in the continent's commitment to protecting consumer health, strengthening Africa's food safety governance and facilitating trade in safe food products under the African Continental Free Trade Area, the statement said.
The move is in response to Africa's disproportionate burden of food-borne illnesses, which affects 91 million people and results in 137,000 deaths annually, one-third of the global mortality due to food-borne diseases, the statement quoted the World Health Organisation as saying.
The economic toll of unsafe food is equally staggering, with the World Bank estimating losses of 110 billion U.S. dollars annually in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia due to lost productivity and medical costs, the statement said.
The agency will establish a continental food safety data hub and rapid alert system, providing critical support to African countries in managing food safety risks and emergencies. It will also coordinate food safety initiatives at the continental level while complementing and strengthening the food safety coordination function of regional economic communities, it said.
Top Stories Today
- Absa Bank launches Sultanah, Kenya’s first women-only Shariah-compliant product
- Supreme Court rules Chief Registrar has no powers to discipline, fire judges or magistrates
- SHA denies wiring Sh20 million to ghost hospital in Homa Bay, confirms payment to Nyandiwa Level 4
- Maraga urges IEBC to resume voter registration, warns delays disenfranchising youth
- World marks UN day honouring victims of religion-based violence
- Audit finds classrooms, police posts and ICT hubs lying idle despite millions spent
