Greetings Gambia-l,
I thought this article might be of interest to some of you.
regards,
Momodou Camara
__/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/ __/
Title: HEALTH-AFRICA: Toxic Fungus Threatens Health of
Consumers of Corn
By Noel Tadegnon
LOME, Aug 18 (IPS) - Ghana, Togo and Benin are joining forces to
fight a toxic fungus called 'Asperyellus Flavus,' which is
contaminating corn and other widely-consumed crops in West
Africa.
The fungus produces a toxic derivative called 'aflatoxin,' which
rots dry corn seeds, groundnut seeds, yam, wheat and dried fish.
Aflatoxin is a natural poison which penetrates the body only
through the consumption of grain-based food, or poultry and cattle
fed with such food.
Rotary International has already launched a programme to eradicate
aflatoxin in the three West African countries. It conducted a
survey which showed a strong correlation between the presence of
aflatoxin in the blood and liver cancer.
Aflatoxin is indirectly absorbed by children through maternal
milk. As a result, their immune system is affected. ''This
contributes to high infant mortality rates and to impaired health
throughout the child's life,'' said Kitty Cardwell, a member of Rotary
and an expert on aflatoxin.
Infant mortality rates stand at 76 per 1,000 in Ghana, 97 per
1,000 in Benin and 77 per 1,000 in Togo.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the permitted
level in food products of aflatoxin is zero part for one billion
(0 ppb) for children, 20 ppb for adults and 55 ppb for animals.
''These norms are not respected in Western Africa. Some studies
show populations consuming 100 ppb per day since they were
born,'' Cardwell lamented.
The studies reveal that consumers are not aware they are eating
contaminated food. The problem with aflatoxin is that farmers
cannot see the fungus that produces it on the corn. Moreover, it
is colourless and it does not disappear after cooking or
fermentation.
''The corn seeds are severely damaged in West Africa because they
remain too long in the fields where they are attacked by many
insects. As a result, they generally have higher levels of
aflatoxin,'' Rotary said.
''Aflatoxin is neither a microbe nor a virus. It is not infectious
and it is not contagious,'' said Dr Abass Sant'anna, who co-
ordinates the anti-aflatoxin programme in Togo.
Experts say the human body has few natural defences against
aflatoxin. But they agree scientific knowledge on this poison is
very sketchy and that there are only a few treatments.
Still, the scientific community is determined to learn more about
the poison.
During a workshop held in Lome, Togo, at the beginning of this
month with experts from the three concerned countries, the
participants agreed that while one meal of aflatoxin-contaminated
food did not carry many risks of poisoning, diseases did develop
after many years of daily consumption of such food.
Accurate data on the impact of the grain contamination in Benin,
Togo and Ghana is not yet available. But researchers have already
detected alarming levels of aflatoxin in more than 30 percent of
the grain samples collected in fields, markets and warehouses in
Benin.
According to the Rotary group, in 1994, many poultry breeders in
Ghana noticed that the level of aflatoxin contamination in corn
grains had quintupled after five months of stocking.
Ghanaian researchers also found aflatoxin in samples of a popular
corn-based food called ''kenke.''
In order to raise awareness about the poison and its consequences,
the three countries set up a programme aimed at supervising the
quality of the food in the sub-region. The three-year programme is
funded by the Rotary International Foundation. The International
Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the UN Food and Agriculture
Organisation (FAO) are also participating.
Awareness campaigns, supervised programmes and a feasibility
study for a grain decontamination project have been launched.
Participants in the Lome workshop lamented the very low level of
public awareness on the subject. ''Corn producers, retailers and
consumers never heard of the problem,'' Rotary said.
Apaloo Jacqueline, a corn retailer in Lome, agrees. She said she
was unaware of the effects of aflatoxin on cereals.
The workshop recommended that information campaigns be carried
out in the urban markets from Benin, Togo and Ghana carrying the
following message: ''Quality corn for an improved health.''
''This campaign will be enforced in each country taking into
account cultural, linguistic and administrative specificities,''
said Yves Oswald Hans-Moevi Akue, an assistant to the governor of
the Rotary Club in Benin.
''This will have to be done cautiously and delicately to avoid
panic because corn is the staple food for some of these countries'
populations,'' he added.
In addition, training courses for researchers will be organised in
order to make them familiar with affordable and sustainable food-
quality control methods. The quality of grains sold on the urban
markets will also be checked.
The workshop also called for measures to reduce the level of
contamination.
''I understand farmers need to harvest the corn very early, dry it
well and stock it in reasonably ventilated areas. Retailers can
not mix good and bad grains as they used to. They need to sort out
the grains,'' said Georgette Gbessi, a corn retailer who took part
in the workshop. (END/IPS/HE/nt/ko/nrn/mp/da/00)
Origin: SJAAMEX/HEALTH-AFRICA/
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[c] 2000, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)
All rights reserved
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