In Sub Sahara Africa, food contamination continues to wreak havoc. Given that a large proportion of ready-to-eat food are sold by street food vendors, hygiene becomes a major challenge owing to the fact that adequate supply of portable water is an issue. Food safety regulators are overwhelmed by the sheer number of unlicensed vendors who happen to operate their businesses in hard to reach areas or opt to carry out their business during after-work hours. ...Chemical contaminants increasingly play an important role too as well as allergens that may find their way into food. Unhygienic handling and deliberate contamination of food can be classified as human factors that also contribute to the problem.

1. CURRENT STATUS OF FOOD POISONING AND FOODBORNE DISEASES IN SUB-
SAHARA AFRICA
By Kevine Otieno; Ruth Imbahale; Cyrus Kihara & Stephen Odera
ABSTRACT
In Sub Sahara Africa, food contamination continues to wreak havoc. Given that a large proportion
of ready-to-eat food are sold by street food vendors, hygiene becomes a major challenge owing to
the fact that adequate supply of portable water is an issue. Food safety regulators are overwhelmed
by the sheer number of unlicensed vendors who happen to operate their businesses in hard to reach
areas or opt to carry out their business during after-work hours. These challenges worsen the
already bad global food crisis given that food supply is already in deficit in most parts of the world.
Aetiological agents of food poisoning and foodborne illnesses vary greatly depending on various
factors but they can be broadly categorized as pathogenic and toxigenic bacteria, parasites and
viruses. Chemical contaminants increasingly play an important role too as well as allergens that
may find their way into food. Unhygienic handling and deliberate contamination of food can be
classified as human factors that also contribute to the problem. To address these issues, there is
need for a concerted effort from all the stakeholders in the food value chain. There is need to
heighten food safety policies that promote surveillance and promote players to set and adopt
standards that are geared towards ensuring safe food for all. Every aspect of food safety should be
considered throughout the value chain to ensure that the food is not exposed to the mentioned
agents of intoxication or foodborne illness agents. Every player in the value chain need to get the
skills in monitoring their food safety and reporting outbreaks early so that the situation can be
contained. Due to the competing interests in most of Sub-Sahara Africa as a result of high poverty
levels, implementing food safety is a key challenge. However, there is need to adopt multi-sectorial
approach that places the onus of addressing different challenges in a given food with different
departments. This coordinated approach is seen as efficient because different departments address
challenges that are of key importance to them, which contributes synergistically to the general
agenda of eliminating the problem of foodborne illnesses. Even though the progress is slow, it is
a welcomed move in the right direction that will ensure that the region enjoys a multi-faceted
approach to food safety.
Key words: Risk factors, Food safety, Food contamination

2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
OUTBREAKS OF FOODBORNE ILLNESSES ....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
AETIOLOGICAL AGENTS AND RISK FACTORS................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
SALMONELLOSIS............................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
CLOSTRIDUIM BOTULINUM ........................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRINGENS ..................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
ESCHERICHIA COLI........................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
SHIGELLOSIS ................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
CAMPYLOBACTERIA..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
LISTERIA........................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
CHOLERA.......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
BRUCELLOSIS (UNDULANT FEVER) .......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
BACILLUS CEREUS GASTROENTERITIS ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
AMOEBIASIS (Amoebic Dysentery) ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
ASCARIASIS ..................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
CLONORCHIASIS............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
SOURCES OF FOODBORNE PATHOGENS .......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Ingredients and agricultural produce....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Prepared foods ........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Food vendors........................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS .............. Error! Bookmark not defined.
IMPLEMENTATING THE FOOD SAFETY STRATEGY................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
HUMAN RESOURCE AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS............. Error! Bookmark not defined.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
CONCLUSION AND WAY FORWARD............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
REFERENCES.......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
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