By Girmachew Gashaw
The Ministry of Health announced yesterday that it would step up the ongoing efforts in ensuring food safety across the country.
Commemorating this year's World Health Day with the theme; "From farm to plate, make food safe!" yesterday, State Minister Dr. Kebede Worku indicated that food safety is a top priority for a developing country like Ethiopia as many of our fellow citizens are being affected by various communicable diseases due to improper food handling. The theme provides an opportunity to educate consumers and alert governments, manufacturers and retailers about the importance of food safety and the role actors play in the food chain, from farm to plate.
In Ethiopia, various measures have been taking place to ensure food safety. Beginning from the grassroots level, assorted government bodies have been established to control, manage issues related to the production, distribution as well as dissemination of safe food, medicine and other health related services. Unsafe food has put major strains on health systems and has hurt national economy, development as well as trade activities. The Ministry would work more by strengthening the ongoing efforts to protect the public from unsafe food provision, Kebede said.
World Health Organization Representative in Ethiopia, Dr. Pierre Mpele on his part said that the world health day is an occasion to raise awareness and call for focused action to improve the health of the public. This year's theme reminds us how safe is our food and why we should make our food safe; because the unsafe food can cause over 200 diseases.
"We should pay attention every time on how safe is our food, we advocate for, we sensitize the population, and take action because it is a daily concern for our health," Dr. Mpele said.
Various papers were presented at a half-day food safety workshop organized by the Ministry of Health and its stakeholders at Elilly International Hotel.
The Day was marked for the 55th time at international level. It was learnt that Ethiopia loses close to 56 million Birr annually due to food safety problems.
Source: ALlAfrica
The Ministry of Health announced yesterday that it would step up the ongoing efforts in ensuring food safety across the country.
Commemorating this year's World Health Day with the theme; "From farm to plate, make food safe!" yesterday, State Minister Dr. Kebede Worku indicated that food safety is a top priority for a developing country like Ethiopia as many of our fellow citizens are being affected by various communicable diseases due to improper food handling. The theme provides an opportunity to educate consumers and alert governments, manufacturers and retailers about the importance of food safety and the role actors play in the food chain, from farm to plate.
In Ethiopia, various measures have been taking place to ensure food safety. Beginning from the grassroots level, assorted government bodies have been established to control, manage issues related to the production, distribution as well as dissemination of safe food, medicine and other health related services. Unsafe food has put major strains on health systems and has hurt national economy, development as well as trade activities. The Ministry would work more by strengthening the ongoing efforts to protect the public from unsafe food provision, Kebede said.
World Health Organization Representative in Ethiopia, Dr. Pierre Mpele on his part said that the world health day is an occasion to raise awareness and call for focused action to improve the health of the public. This year's theme reminds us how safe is our food and why we should make our food safe; because the unsafe food can cause over 200 diseases.
"We should pay attention every time on how safe is our food, we advocate for, we sensitize the population, and take action because it is a daily concern for our health," Dr. Mpele said.
Various papers were presented at a half-day food safety workshop organized by the Ministry of Health and its stakeholders at Elilly International Hotel.
The Day was marked for the 55th time at international level. It was learnt that Ethiopia loses close to 56 million Birr annually due to food safety problems.
Source: ALlAfrica
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