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Government has called for a nationwide shift from merely acknowledging foodborne illnesses to implementing concrete measures that ensure safer food production, handling and consumption, warning that preventable diseases continue to place a heavy burden on Zambia’s health system.
Speaking during the commemoration of World Food Safety Day on Wednesday in Lusaka, Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Kennedy Lishimpi, said improving food safety is not only a public health necessity but also a key driver of economic productivity and national development.
In remarks delivered on his behalf by University Teaching Hospitals (UTH) Children’s Hospital Senior Medical Superintendent, Musaku Mwenechanya, Lishimpi said this year’s theme, “From Burden to Solutions: Food Safety Everywhere,” should inspire action across the entire food value chain.
He revealed that the Ministry of Health had recorded more than 7.2 million cases of non-bloody diarrhoea, 158,922 cases of food poisoning, 94,532 cases of infectious diarrhoea, 92,557 cases of severe dehydration and 18,753 cases of diarrhoea caused by viral infections.
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“These figures demonstrate the significant burden that unsafe food continues to place on our health system and reinforce the need for stronger preventive measures,” Lishimpi said.
He noted that many of the reported illnesses could be avoided through improved hygiene, proper food storage and safe cooking practices, adding that the Government is committed to strengthening food safety systems through policy reforms and coordinated action across sectors.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Education Permanent Secretary for Educational Services, Kelvin Mambwe, said ensuring food safety in schools was essential to improving learning outcomes and safeguarding children’s health.
Speaking through Assistant Director for School Health and Nutrition, Maybin Luulu, Mambwe warned that foodborne diseases contribute to school absenteeism, malnutrition and poor academic performance, while increasing healthcare costs for families.
“Food safety is no longer just a public health concern. It is a critical development issue with implications for education, economic growth and human well-being,” he said.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Zambia, Percy Filippini, also commended Government’s efforts to strengthen food safety systems, stressing that responsibility for safe food extends from farms to consumers.
In remarks delivered on her behalf by National Project Coordinator Cornelius Zemba, Filippini said farmers, processors, transporters, traders, retailers, regulators and consumers all played a vital role in ensuring that food reaching the public is safe.
“Every day we assume the food we eat is safe, but achieving that requires coordinated action by everyone involved across the entire food system,” she said.
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