Today marks the day of "World Health Day" and this year the WHO (The World Health Organization) is focusing on food safety.
Foodborne and waterborne diarrheal diseases kill an estimated 2
million people annually, including many children and particularly in
developing countries.
WHO says that World Health Day 2015 is a chance to recognize the food
safety role of all those involved in food production and to strengthen
collaboration and coordination among these areas in order to prevent,
detect and respond to food borne diseases efficiently.The actual levels of food borne diseases are estimated to be much
higher than what gets reported, underlying the need for improved
collaboration to lower risks.
Some of the most important results are related to enteric infections caused by viruses, bacteria and protozoa that enter the body by ingestion of contaminated food. Some stunning facts according to WHO report that there were an estimated 582 million cases of 22 different food borne enteric diseases and 351,000 resulted in death. The Africa region recorded the highest disease burden for these diseases and over 40% of those suffering from food borne disease were children.
Tabibu Africa, Inc believes that hygiene and safe food handling education is key to the solution of this world wide problem. Tabibu Africa, Inc has proven successful hygiene and sanitation programs in place as well as a "Keep Yourself Healthy" workshop for school aged children. This program not only covers issue of food contamination but also water sanitation, sewage & waste disposal, and personal health and hygiene.
Facts of Food Borne Illnesses:
More
than 200 diseases are spread through food.
Millions of people fall ill every
year and many die as a result of eating unsafe food. Diarrhea diseases alone
kill an estimated 1.5 million children annually, and most of these illnesses
are attributed to contaminated food or drinking water.
Contaminated
food can cause long-term health problems.
The most common symptoms of
foodborne disease are stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea. Food contaminated
with heavy metals or with naturally occurring toxins can also cause long-term
health problems including cancer and neurological disorders.
Food borne diseases affect vulnerable people harder than other groups.
Infections caused by contaminated
food have a much higher impact on populations with poor or fragile health
status and can easily lead to serious illness and death. For infants, pregnant
women, the sick and the elderly, the consequences of foodborne disease are
usually more severe and may be fatal.
Everybody
has a role to play in keeping food safe.
Food safety is a shared
responsibility between governments, industry, producers, academia, and
consumers. Everyone has a role to play. Achieving food safety is a
multi-sectoral effort requiring expertise from a range of different disciplines
– toxicology, microbiology, parasitology, nutrition, health economics, and
human and veterinary medicine. Local communities, women’s groups and school
education also play an important role.
