Lusaka, October 26-27, 2023
Africa has the world’s highest per-capita rate of foodborne illnesses, and public health experts are concerned that the problem isn’t being adequately addressed. According to World Health Organization data cited in a February 21, 2019, WBUR article, foodborne hazards are responsible for 137,000 deaths and 91 million acute illnesses in Africa every year, mostly affecting children under age five. There is a critical need to monitor the incidence of foodborne illnesses in our community and improve reporting mechanisms to enable quicker responses to potential outbreaks.
In response to these challenges, CUTS Lusaka is implementing the “Safe and Healthy Food, Safe and Healthy Zambia” campaign, supported by Solidaridad Zambia. To address food safety issues, CUTS held a policy dialogue meeting that brought together various stakeholders, including representatives from the government, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, farmers, and the media.
The objective of the meeting was to enhance capacity and knowledge on food safety standards in the fruits and vegetables industry, with a particular focus on trade and consumer health. The meeting also concentrated on strategies for developing fruit and vegetable standards in Zambia and discussed establishing a multi-stakeholder platform dedicated to food safety in fruits and vegetables.