NEWS: Adamawa State Government Holds Safety Food Awareness Campaign in the State.

By Sammeni Kamsobbi 
12/10/2017

Today being the 12th October 2017, a workshop on food safety awareness campaign initiative was held here in Yola. The programme  took place at Duragi hotel along Army  Barracks road, under a project founded by the European Union. 

The representative of Adamawa State Government,  comrade Ahmad Sajoh the Honourable Commissioner Ministry of Information welcomed all local Government participants and organizations to the workshop. In a welcome address,  he urged everyone to take care of his or her environment in a proper way.  Good hygiene should be our number one priority and also safe food, preservation to also tackle foodborne diseases. 

Sajoh had also emphasized on the need for one to take good care of what he or she eat. 
However , he concluded by calling on everyone to take care of his or her Environment because health is wealth. He urged every participants to listen and make good use of the opportunity.

Mr Fubara A. Chukwu,  the representative of Honourable Minister of of Health and chairman National Food Safety Management Committee in an opening remarks said is really a great pleasure for him to be in Adamawa State. He felt delighted to sensitize and create awareness on the National policy on food safety and it's implementation strategy to the good people of Adamawa State. 

Chukwu said,  food is a very vital necessity of life,  a biological need and a global socio-economic tool. He continued that the federal government under the Ministry of Health formulated the National Policy on food safety and it's implementation strategy (NPFSIS) with imput from all relevant MDA's and private sector stakeholders and international bodies. 

The policy was approved and adopted in March 2016 by the National Council on health (NCH) in Sokoto State to streamline the activities along the food chain for effective and efficient result oriented food safety programme as well as implementation and eliminated reduce overlaps and duplication of functions. 

He explained that in view of the multi-sectoral nature of Food Safety Management Committee (NFSMC) and the inter - ministeral commitee on food safety (IMFSC) as basic institutional framework is to coordinate and manage the implementation strategies of the policy document. 

He added that the purpose of the sensitization is therefore aimed at the promotion of safe food practices at the grass - root level to ensure access to safe food especially to the vulnerable groups of the society. 

He concluded by thanking the State Government and the entire people of the State for the readiness and willingness to host and accommodate the programme. 

A paper  titled ; " Understanding the principal food safety and importance of food safety" was presented by Mr John Tehinse UNIDO National Expert on Food Safety. Mr John in his presentation  said food safety is all about producing, handling storage and preparing food to prevent infection and help to make sure that food keeps enough nutrients to enable consumer have a healthy diet. 

He also added that unsafe food has long been a human health problem, and the occurrence of foodborne diseases remain a significant health issue all over the world.  Every day in every country people fall ill from the food they eat. 

 

"A proper food handling, preparation and good hygiene habits can prevent most foodborne diseases " Tehinse said. 

He concluded by saying that there is a need for attitudinal change by both the Government and  individuals towards tackling Environmental issues.