Aflatoxin Prevention and Control
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Item High level stock-taking meetings on implementation of the EAC regional strategy and action plan on aflatoxin prevention and control(EAC Secretariat, 2020) East African CommunityAflatoxin contamination poses a serious threat to human and animal health, and to the economies of the EAC Partner States. In February 2018, the 36th Council of Ministers approved the EAC Aflatoxin Prevention and Control Strategy and Action Plan (2017-2022). The Council further directed Partner States to mainstream EAC Aflatoxin prevention and control strategy priorities in their national budgets and investment plans. The Council of Ministers also approved nine sets of policy briefs on aflatoxin management. They contain recommendations on interventions required to mitigate impacts and effects of aflatoxin along the food and feed value chains. Development and implementation of the Strategy has been funded by USAID Kenya and East and technically supported by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Partnership for Aflatoxin Prevention and Control in Africa (PACA).Item Impact of aflatoxin exposure to children during the first 1000 days of life(East African Community, 2018-04) East African CommunityThe most vulnerable group of population is exposed to Aflatoxins within 1000 days of life from conception to the child’s second birthday. This population group is highly affected because their body systems have not fully developed to allow for detoxification1. Exposure to aflatoxin during the first 1000 days of a Child leads to wasting, stunting and underweight. Consumption of safe and quality food is essential for all, but it is of significant importance in children. Aflatoxin contamination of children food must therefore be prevented. Aflatoxin metabolites have been detected in samples of blood and urine of new-borns and pregnant women respectively in Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Gambia and Ghana. Children between zero and two years continue to be exposed to aflatoxin through breast milk and complimentary food in EAC region.Item Harmonization and strengthening of aflatoxin standards regulation for human food and food products to promote public health(East African Community, 2018-04) East African CommunityAflatoxin contamination in food is a Public Health concern. East African Community estimates of aflatoxin contamination in food are as high as 60% in some regions. The EAC region has a weak system of enforcing the adopted standards for aflatoxin control. This is a challenge due to poor inter-agency coordination, lack of accessible testing technology, weak inspection capacities, and lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities of food regulatory bodies. The vast majorities of people in the region consume on-farm production, and both informal and formal markets remain largely unregulated, as is the food processing industry. There is need to strengthen the capacity of Food Safety Regulatory Authorities to monitor and control aflatoxin levels in food and food products in the EAC Partner States. This will inform relevant authorities of the current status of aflatoxin contamination as well as enable relevant structures to take appropriate action to protect the EAC communitiesItem Mitigating harmful effects of aflatoxin on animal health and productivity(East African Community, 2018-04) East African CommunityLivestock plays a key role in the economies and livelihoods of the people in the East African Community (EAC). The sector contributes an average of 10% of GDP of EAC partner states. Average contribution of livestock to agricultural GDP is between 30% and 15%. Despite the potential, the sector is faced with many challenges including aflatoxin related impacts on animal health and productivity. Aflatoxin is a poison produced by a fungi residing in the soil and dead decaying matter in the field and infect crops such as maize, groundnuts, cassava and bean among others while they are still on the farm, (pre-harvest) after harvest during storage (post-harvest) and also during storage and processing. All animals are affected by consumption or exposure to aflatoxin especially through contaminated feeds as well as pastures, hay, straw and silage among others and this contributes to various livestock diseases and low livestock productivity especially highly susceptible animals such as rabbits, ducks, and pigs dogs, calves, turkeys and sheep, cattle and chick among others. Aflatoxin has proven to have negative health impacts on animals, which include death from ingesting large amounts; lowered productivity; and immunosuppression. In mammals, acute and chronic Aflatoxicosis, may lead to damage of the liver and other effects on animal health and productivity. Aflatoxicosis is the poisoning that results from ingesting aflatoxins in contaminated food or feed.Item Prevention and control of aflatoxin and associated losses during postharvest handling of agricultural commodities in the EAC(East African Community, 2018-04) East African CommunityAflatoxins are a set of poisonous substances produced by fungi (molds) that can potentially cause cancer and contribute to stunting and immunosuppression in vulnerable groups. Aflatoxin contamination occurs in major staple crops in East Africa, such as maize, rice and sorghum. Poor postharvest handling enhances the contamination of the susceptible crops with aflatoxins. Factors such as insect infestation, high moisture causes Post-harvest losses, these further allow the proliferation of aflatoxin producing fungus to grow in susceptible crops and produces aflatoxin. Accumulation of aflatoxins in these crops further increases both quantitative and qualitative losses. High aflatoxin contamination exceeding by far the maximum permissible level of 10 ppb have been reported in maize and ground nuts for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. This can potentially cause rejection of contaminated products in domestic and international markets. For example, in Kenya, 13,922 Metric Tonnes of maize were rejected by the regulatory authority in 2014 due to high levels of aflatoxin contamination. Majority of people in East Africa are not aware of aflatoxin problems and its control strategies. For example, in 2012 only 35 % of interviewed farmers in Kongwa district of Tanzania were found to be aware of aflatoxin problems and control strategies. The main cause of the above problems is limited research on technologies that prevent and control aflatoxin contamination and inadequate application of available technologies due to insufficient capacity along the value chain.Item Harmful effects of aflatoxin and its impact on human health(East African Community, 2018-04) East African CommunityAflatoxin is highly toxic to human and causes liver cancer, slowed growth in children, weakens the body immune system to fight diseases and exacerbates infectious diseases such as hepatitis, human immunodefiency virus syndrome (HIV) and tuberculosis. The EAC region experiences high temperatures and humidity which favors growth of aflatoxin producing fungi normally found in the soil. Contamination of food crops and food products occurs in all stages of food value chain from pre and post harvesting period, processing and storage stage. The EAC population is prone to aflatoxin exposure through consumption of contaminated food and food products which leads to harmful health effects. Exposure to aflatoxin leads to acute aflatoxicosis that may lead to death. In 2016, about 14 deaths resulting from aflatoxicosis were reported in Dodoma and Manyara regions of the United Republic of Tanzania. In 2004, 125 deaths associated with aflatoxin contamination were reported in the Makueni County, Republic of Kenya.Item Aflatoxins:(East African Community, 2018-04) East African CommunityIn the EAC Region, food crops and their products that are produced, consumed or traded in large quantities with high degree of susceptibility to aflatoxin include maize, groundnuts, cashew, and sesame. The potential economic and trade-related impacts of aflatoxin contaminated products in domestic and international markets can be significant. The contribution of market losses to the total economic impact depends on the extent to which the domestic market differentiates aflatoxin-contaminated products. If the domestic market does not differentiate aflatoxin-contaminated products, the market losses from the contamination will be minimal. Among EAC Partner States, in Kenya, the awareness about aflatoxins is high, signaling that domestic market impact will be higher than in other countries.Item Controlling the burden of liver disease through integrating hepatitis A and B vaccination into the national immunization programs of the EAC partner states(East African Community, 2018-04) East African CommunityLiver cancer is a leading cause of deaths in the world. Chronic hepatitis B infection causes 80 percent of liver cancer cases in the EAC region. The combination of aflatoxin exposure with hepatitis infection especially among people, who are malnourished or living with HIV results in a double-disease burden that increases disease severity, reduces survivability and heightens liver cancer prevalence. The economic losses to residents of all EAC partner states associated with morbidity and mortality from aflatoxin-attributable liver cancer is of a high magnitude. There is an urgent need to prioritize the prevention of Hepatitis A and B infections by administration of immunizations for all age group in the EAC Partner States.Item Use of biocontrol for aflatoxin prevention and control in the EAC(East African Community, 2018-04) East African CommunityAflatoxins are poisonous substance produced by fungus that grows and contaminates most of staple food including cereals, oils seeds, roots crops and legumes. Aflatoxin contaminates a quarter of the world’s food supply and approximately 4.5 billion people are exposed to aflatoxin contamination worldwide. Aflatoxin contaminates a wide range of agricultural crops in the EAC including cereals (maize, sorghum, millet, rice wheat), oil seeds (groundnuts, cottonseed, sesame) root crops (cassava), cashew nuts, spices (particularly chilies), and products made from these crops. High aflatoxin contamination above the maximum permissible level of 10 ppb have been reported in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda in maize which is a major staple food and the most traded in the whole EAC.Item Disposal and alternative use of aflatoxin contaminated food(East African Community, 2018-04) East African CommunityAgricultural commodities, including maize, groundnuts, and cassava, milk, and cotton seed contaminated with aflatoxin pose serious threat to human and animal health, and to the economies of the EAC Partner States. It is, therefore, desirable that contamination should be prevented to the greatest extent possible. Given that eradication of aflatoxin contamination in foods is not feasible at the moment, alternative uses should be considered with disposal being the last resort. The EAC, however, doesn’t have established and functional mechanisms for disposal of aflatoxin-contaminated agricultural commodities.