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Momodou
Denmark
11790 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Aug 2007 : 17:05:37
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HEALTH AND NUTRITION BANTABA
Role of NaNA vis-à-vis The Food Act 2005
By Ousman Sillah
Recent media reports have disclosed an outbreak of the deadly 'Foot and Mouth disease' affecting cattle in an area in South East England. This development had raised alarm, particularly, among European Union (EU) member states and thus resulting in the formalisation of a ban of British meat, milk products and live animals by the EC. It is also reported that the UK government has banned the movement of all livestock across Britain. These are said to be precautionary measures being taken to contain the outbreak.
Apparently, this is the second time, in few decades, that Britain has been visited by such a health and life threatening 'pathogenical calamity' which wreaks havoc to both livestock and human beings, alike. Apart from taking its toll on human lives, the foot and mouth disease also impacts negatively on national economies and with farmer's incomes, with the attendant export/import ban and the culling (selective slaughter) of affected livestock. According to media reports, these disease outbreaks have caused Britain to lose billions of dollars.
The reason why this parallel is being drawn is to show readers that if Britain, as a highly industrialized nation having most, if not, all the necessary information, expertise and infrastructure in disease prevention and control in place, can be so prone and vigilant at the same time, then how about the 'HIPC classified' Gambia, which is fledgling in many development oriented endeavours. We need to be more vigilant in terms of putting in place a more robust and effective prevention awareness regime which is indeed the area where our strength lies in terms of expertise and resources.
It is no secret that life expectancy in The Gambia is very low due to factors of poverty, disease and poor dietary habits. According to reports from health experts, the incidence of diet related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, etc is alarmingly on the increase and resulting in many untimely deaths. Interestingly, diseases that were traditionally associated with the low income groups in the industrialized societies of the West, such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension heart and lung disease are invariably the ones that are now affecting the high and middle income earners in developing countries, such as The Gambia. Research has revealed that the main cause of these debilitating and often fatal illnesses is poor diet provided by junk food, lack of physical exercise, etc. 'Junk Food', however, is food that is (industrially manufactured, non-fresh, oil based, genetically engineered, chemically preserved, expired etc).
We will be consulting the health and nutrition experts in our subsequent editions, so as to enable them to shed more light on the safety of food that are produced and consumed in The Gambia.
In this issue, the Foroyaa intends to bring The National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) to the spotlight, as it is the National Institution established and empowered by law (the constitution) to coordinate, regulate, oversee and enforce all matters dealing with food safety, control, production, consumption, etc in The Gambia. The objective is to help generate public awareness of the existence and role of this vital national institution whose contribution in the prevention of disease, promotion of health, protection and preservation of life needs to be given full support by government, consumers, business, media, civil society in order for it to be effective in its work of promoting healthy dietary habits, control in the importation and sale of sub-standard (expired) food that is unfit for human and animal consumption, negative media advertising of unhealthy food products, etc.
Therefore, our primary occupation and concern, before talking about food being exported outside of the country, should be to focus on the quality of food that is consumed locally, whether imported or locally produced e.g sub-standard food, aflatoxin in nuts and grains, frozen foods, etc.
What are the Functions of the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), as provided for by the FOOD ACT, 2005 which establishes it?
Food Act. 2005
PART III - FUNCTIONS OF THE AGENCY
1. The functions of the Agency are to-
(a) co-ordinate all nutrition and related activities in The Gambia;
(b) co-ordinate public information or educational activities to sensitise the population on food safety issues;
(c) co-ordinate research and investigation into all matters pertaining to food safety
and control;
(d) co-ordinate inter-sectoral action towards the implementation of the national
nutrition policy;
(e) co-ordinate the review, up-dating, strengthening, harmonising and development of legislation relevant to nutrition;
(f) undertake policy analysis and review in order to anticipate potentially adverse nutrition outcome of development policies and recommend appropriate protective mechanisms and strategies;
(g) define and develop standards and norms for effective nutrition programme and service delivery for use by relevant implementing agencies;
(h) develop and pilot intervention strategies before their adoption for implementation
(i) develop and strengthen the capacities of stakeholders to enable them to fulfil the role and mandate in the nutrition policy and programme;
(j) increase national awareness on nutrition issues in general, and the nutrition policy and plan of action. In particular, and strategies and activities for its implementation, through an advocacy and information, Education and Communication strategy:
(k) be a national resource centre and think-tank for nutrition issues in The Gambia;
(l) mobilise technical, material and financial resources to support a co-ordinated response to The Gambia's nutrition problems, and co-ordinate donor support for nutrition activities in The Gambia;
(m) support stakeholders in the integration of nutrition objectives into their development plans;
(n) monitor and evaluate nutrition policy and programme implementation and advise the National Nutrition Council periodically; and
(o) perform all other duties assigned to it under or incidental to this Act.
12. (1) Subject to the provisions of section 14, the Agency Board may appoint such committees, as it may deem necessary, consisting of specialists and other members, to assist it in the performance of its functions.
(2) The Agency Board shall determine the terms of reference of each committee.
(3) The National Codex Committee shall, on the coming into force of this Act, be deemed to be a Committee of the Agency.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 93/2007, 10 - 12 August 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 11 Aug 2007 : 17:40:51
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| Mr Sillah (the author of this piece)is very right indeed I only hope that Gambian resources which are limited are channelled along that direction,if westernised Countries such as the UK suffer from bad foods that cause medical problems in humans that are quick to consume without much benefit to to those who consume them,excercise is important and if rich Gambians continue to use their cars they too will suffer from these western health problems.I understand that the recent foot and mouth outbreak was due to a virus escaping from a lab where vaccines are made,yes.........to vaccinate cattle AGAINST catching foot and mouth .So if a vaccine is availabe why dont the british vaccinate their cattle? |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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