The CCAFRICA Region - Regional Coordinator Uganda
The ‘Coordinating Committee for Africa’ was established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1972 with a mandate to “exercise general coordination in the preparation of standards relating to the region of Africa”. The committee held its first meeting at FAO in 1974, with 19 countries in attendance.
As the new regional coordinator begins their term, the Agreement of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into effect in May 2020, has reinforced the need for an efficient and effective system for managing sanitary and phytosanitary measures, in particular food safety, across the continent as its borders open for trade.
The regional coordinator is based in the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, a statutory body under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Co-operatives which oversees, as part of its mandate, the promotion and use of standards.
As regional coordinator, Uganda intends to engage closely with countries via surveys, webinars and workshops to identify needs and emerging issues, create awareness of priority food safety issues and of Codex standards. A pilot study will also explore the food safety situation in broader terms across the region. By strengthening engagement with regional bodies such as the African Union, the African Organisation for Standardisation and the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat, Uganda also aims to enhance advocacy work in the region.
CCAFRICA Coordinator
All information on Codex is public and free.
For regional enquiries contact:
CCAFRICA Secretariat
Uganda National Bureau of Standards Plot 2 - 12, Bypass Link, Industrial
& Business park, Kyaliwajala road,
P.O Box 6329 Kampala, Uganda
Tel: +256 (041) 7333250 / 0417333251 / 0417333252
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.unbs.go.ug
Botswana Ministers show support for World Food Safety Day across media
On World Food Safety Day, the Minister of Health and Wellness of Botswana, Dr Edwin G Dikoloti, was joined by several ministerial dignitaries and representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in a public event where he delivered a keynote address on the importance of food safety for Botswana.
Minister of Health and Wellness of Botswana, Dr Edwin G Dikoloti
Dr Puna Gasennelwe, a Public Health Specialist hosted the event on behalf of the The Director of Health Services who is the Chairperson of the National Food Control Board. Dr Gasennelwe delivered the World Food Safety Day ‘Calls to Action on food safety.’ The event also involved an exhibition on food safety, which included stalls organized by the Ministry of Health and Wellness on port health and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and a stall on the Food Safety and Quality Management Unit.
Guests tour food safety exhibition
The event was televised by Botswana Television (BTV) and made available live on social media and other platforms. The Ministry of Health and Wellness showed the event on Facebook live. In addition, a number of other awareness raising exercises were organized, including radio interviews aired on Botswana radio on 7 and 8 June. The BTV breakfast show covered World Food Safety Day in a live segment and will air pre-recorded interviews about food safety on the Ministry of Health-sponsored show, Tsa Botsogo show on 16 June.
Guests at Botswana World Food Safety Day celebrations
Efforts to raise the profile of food safety in Botswana do not stop there. Throughout June and July, a series of workshops organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology, will train food handlers at various learning institutions. Younger students will be taught food safety awareness in primary schools throughout the month of June. These efforts follow a training lecture on Codex Alimentarius and food safety, which was held in May this year for Food Science and Technology students at Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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