As part of the health talks for the Food Systems Summit:
https://healthtalks.foodsystemsforhealth.org/talks/sdg-indicator-for-food-safety/
Date: 9 June 2021, Wednesday
Time: 13:00 – 14:30 CET (90 min)
Registration: https://who.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_j17Ht6zLSRO73QhFvuHzNw
Background
600 million – 1 in 10 – people are annually affected by foodborne diseases. Children under five years of age are particularly at high risk as 120 000 of them die from unsafe food, comprising 30% of the total foodborne deaths annually.1 The magnitude of this public health burden due to foodborne diseases is comparable to that of malaria, HIV, or tuberculosis, and this is believed to be just the tip of the iceberg. Foodborne disease are also responsible for a wide range of economic costs as it interacts with other development goals such as improving equity and access to nutritious foods or livelihoods for women and the poor. It is estimated that US$95 billion a year in low- and middle-income countries is associated with productivity loss alone.2 Under the global issues being faced by climate change, emerging diseases, and changes in food production and supply system, the food safety community is put to address new challenges. For achieving and tracking progress being made for the SDGs, 247 indicators are currently monitored across a broad range of areas but no food safety indicator is recognized. While food safety actions are interlinked to many of these indicators particularly under SDG 2, 3, or 8, this data segmentation, and limitations in measuring and reporting impede the progress, camouflaging areas that need more attention and even jeopardizing progress towards other SDGs.
Safe food is not only important but a prerequisite for nutritious food. At the international conference among over 500 participants from 110 governments, various food safety problems were discussed and solutions and required actions are proposed.3
As the community moves ahead to implement such measures, it may help to have explicit goals (targets) and indicators that can measure progress towards attaining these goals because ‘what cannot be measured cannot be managed’. Given the extremely high burden of foodborne diseases based on WHO global report and the likelihood of increasing especially in low and middle-income countries, food safety should be a priority for public health. This webinar will discuss if and how having such a global indicator can contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, thereby strengthening national food safety system.
Aim
Discuss the potential of an SDG indicator for stronger food safety accountabilities and reducing the health burden from unsafe food
Objectives
- Reflect challenges and benefits for food safety to propose an SDG indicator
- Discuss a role of various food safety stakeholders who share responsibility for shared accountabilities in food safety
Convener
WHO Department of Nutrition and Food Safety
Co-convener
Action Track 1 Food System Summit
Proposed agenda
| 10 min | Introduction by moderator, Dr Francesco Branca |
| 5 min | Opening remarks by Dr Samira Asma Assistant Director-General, Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact, World Health Organization (WHO) |
| 5 min | Keynote speech by Dr Lawrence Haddad Chair of the Action Track 1 for UN Food System Summit and Executive Director, Global alliance for Improved Nutrition |
| 15 min | Existing regional effort – “Regional perspective in institutionalizing food safety tracking: The Africa Food Safety Index” presentation by Dr Amare Ayalew Program Manager, Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa, African Union Commission Headquarters, Ethiopia |
| 10 min | Existing national effort – presentation by Dr Pawan Agarwal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India |
| 40 min |
Panel discussions
|
| 5 min | Closing remarks by Dr Francesco Branca Director, Department of Nutrition and Food Safety, WHO |
