Amid fragmented alert systems and an estimated 91 million cases of foodborne illnesses annually across the continent, Dakar is hosting a high-level workshop through April 1 to strengthen the INFOSAN network.
Funded by Luxembourg and led by the FAO, the initiative aims to build a unified regional defense against escalating sanitary threats.
Recent crises, ranging from mass mayonnaise poisoning in Senegal to international alerts over contaminated infant formula, have underscored a harsh reality: foodborne risks do not respect national borders.
To address these vulnerabilities, representatives from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Senegal convened in Dakar on Monday for a three-day steering committee workshop focused on the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN), a joint WHO/FAO initiative. Supported by international experts, the sessions focus on practical strategies for managing large-scale health risks.
Dr. Mamadou Ndiaye, representing the FAO sub-regional office, opened the proceedings by highlighting the staggering scale of the issue. According to 2015 WHO estimates, Africa records 91 million foodborne illness cases and 137,000 deaths annually—accounting for one-third of the global mortality in this sector.
The data is particularly grim regarding “healthy life years” lost. The continent loses between 5.7% and 7.1% of such years to foodborne or waterborne diarrheal diseases, significantly higher than the 4.1% average seen in the rest of the world.
The FAO’s diagnosis reveals several shared structural weaknesses across the three participating nations:
Insufficient Inspections: Monitoring systems remain under-resourced.
Regulatory Gaps: Current laws struggle to keep pace with emerging biological and chemical risks.
Informal Sector Challenges: The proliferation of street food without adequate sanitary oversight remains a major vector for illness.
Globalised Trade: The rapid movement of goods increases the potential for cross-border contamination.
Professor Amadou Diop, Chairman of Senegal’s National Codex Alimentarius Committee, emphasised that information remains the primary weapon against these threats. “The speed and efficiency of information flow are essential to preventing and managing these crises,” he noted.
The workshop targets specific improvements in notification procedures between states and aims to clarify the roles of various stakeholders. A major priority is enhancing coordination between national focal points and the broader INFOSAN network to ensure that when a contaminated product is detected in one country, its neighbours can react instantly.
Furthermore, the sessions will address risk communication—a frequently overlooked aspect of crisis management—to ensure the public receives accurate and timely information during outbreaks.
ARD/te/lb/as/APA