Food-borne diseases life-threatening – health advisor

…project launched to improve food safety policies, practices

The National CODEX Committee of Guyana in collaboration with the Health Ministry, Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department, and PAHO/WHO Guyana launched the CODEX Trust Fund Project, which is expected to increase and improve support for the national food safety policies and priorities locally.
The CODEX Trust Fund Project was launched at Cara Lodge, Georgetown on Wednesday under the theme “Promoting Food Safety Standards for Healthier Guyana”.
At the event, Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy said he was happy that the Trust Fund was in place, as it would contribute to efforts to improve food safety in Guyana.
“For this project, we must adapt …. we can’t change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust our sail… that is what this project is about so that we can effectively participate,” he said.
According to Dr Ramsammy, food-borne diseases rank equally as other life-threatening diseases and should be taken seriously.
“Food-borne diseases are critical… the lost disability-adjusted life years lost annually is 33 million years lost, premature deaths because of food-borne diseases. Ninety-seven per cent of that are due to bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens,” Dr Ramsammy noted.
As such, the Health Ministry, along with other stakeholders, will soon be establishing a national committee aimed at promoting “one health”.
“One health”, according to Dr Ramsammy, is a critical approach to prevent food-borne diseases.
“The approach has to be farm- to-fork approach, boat-to-throat approach because we have to look at the food chain from beginning to end,” he said.
Dr Ramsammy further posited that there was a need for active surveillance and intervention in order to ensure that food being consumed locally was safe.
“If we are going to be effective in ensuring the people use safe and healthy food, we have to allow people to know when they procure this food, whether they are procuring foods that are dangerous to their health…those are imperatives,” he noted.
He added that companies continue to create packaging to make their products more attractive, but consumers must be aware of what they are purchasing.
“…we still have a food safety threat. Guyana must be determined – as a country that produces our own food, as a country that imports food, and also a country that exports food – we do not want to be a silent member, a silent participant in CODEX …”, he explained.
The project duration is from June 2020 to July 2023, and will see major activities such as workshops, seminars that will sensitise high-level policymakers, the training of regulators, training of food and business operators, along with sensitisation sessions with media operatives and the general public.
According to CODEX, at the end of the project it hopes to increase awareness and well-establish national capacity. It also hopes to increase data contribution and participation in CODEX activities and improved food safety systems. (G9)