Overview of the Aflatoxin Challenge and PACA Regional Workshop March 2014, Lilongwe, Malawi Amare Ayalew, PACA Secretariat

What are aflatoxins?  Fungal metabolites (naturally occurring)  Produced by strains of Aspergillus flavus and related species  Highly stable compounds, withstand normal food/feed processing procedures  Contamination occurs preharvest and posthavest

Impact of aflatoxins

Food and Nutrition Security Availability of food Access to food Use and safety of food Aflatoxins affect each of these elements

Aflatoxins affect trade and efforts to streamline SPS matters in Africa Picture after Aubee (2013) Africa loses 450 Mil US$ per year from lost export trade due to aflatoxins

What makes aflatoxins notorious is their impact on public health  Fatal at high concentrations; e.g. outbreaks in East Africa where hundreds of persons died due to aflatoxin poisoning (Probst et al., 2007)  Cause liver cancer (WHO, 1988; 2002)  Linked to: –Stunted growth and being underweight in children –Suppression of human immune system  4.5 billion people chronically exposed (WHO, 2004)

The aflatoxin Challenge in Africa

Factors contributing to the Aflatoxin Challenge in Africa:  Conducive climatic conditions  Traditional crop production practices  Inadequate harvesting, drying and storage practices  Dietary practices  Policy and institutional capacity  Lack of awareness

Aflatoxin contamination is a perennial risk between 40° N and 40° S of the equator, but is a global problem due to int. trade

Aflatoxin Management

Rationale  Aflatoxin contamination is a complex problem: –Hard to solve by a single actor/discipline –Requires multi-stakeholder actions –Need to focus on the cause rather than the symptoms –No single answer  Integrated and coordinated actions needed

A ‘bag of tricks’(integrated valid options) to address the complex aflatoxin problem: Regulation Technology solutions Policy and institutions Photo credit: africabags.org

What is PACA?  Innovative consortium aiming at coordinating aflatoxin mitigation and management across health, agriculture and trade sectors in Africa.  Continental, regional and country level approaches  Africa-based  Aims to adapt proven solutions, and identify new ones, that will work for African situation.

PACA Steering Committee 1 AUC, 2 RECs, 2 Technical Agencies, 1 Farmer Organization, 1 Civil Society, 1 Private Sector, 1 African Health, 1 African Research, 1 Development Partner, 1 PACA Secretariat Technical Subcommittee 1 REC, 2 Tech Agency, 1 Health, 1 Research (support by Secretariat) Budget, Finance & Administration 1 AUC, 1 REC 1 Dev Partner, 1 Farmer Org, 1 CSO (support by Secretariat) African Union Commission Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa: structure for co-identification of problems and co-creation of solutions PACA Secretariat Program Manager, Technical Advisor, Program Officers, Administrative Support, Consultants PACA Platform Broad engagement of diverse stakeholders involved in aflatoxin control in Africa

Chart after Dalberg Global Development Partners (2013)

20 March 2012 | Slide 18 Food Security | Trade | Health Testing (sampling; diagnostics) Training, communication, and capacity strengthening PACA Comprehensive Program Policy, standards and regulations

PACA’s Engagement Approaches  PACA aims at mainstreaming aflatoxin control in existing mechanisms: –the CAADP framework –Health and nutrition frameworks  RECs, Member States, Technical Organizations, Private Sector and CSGs take lead in implementation of PACA’s Strategic Plan  (See Strategy at PACA Website)

The PACA Strategy 2013 – 2022 available at:

Strategic Thematic Areas of Work 1.Research and technology for prevention and control of aflatoxins 2.Policies, legislation and standards for the management of aflatoxins 3.Growing commerce and trade and protecting human health from aflatoxins 4.Enhancing capacity for effective aflatoxin prevention and control 5.Public awareness, advocacy and communication

PACA Focus Areas in 2014  Regional workshops and action planning  Establishment of online data management system as a one-stop-hub for all aflatoxin and related information  Country-led aflatoxin situation analyses  Policy advocacy and communication  PACA Partnership Platform Meeting  Africa Year of Agriculture events  On the ground projects

Conclusion  Aflatoxins are insidious poisons that affect public health, trade and food security  Aflatoxin contamination is a complex problem that can be addressed through integrated measures and concerted efforts  PACA’s 10 year strategy identifies priorities through an inclusive process  The Partnership’s vision: “An Africa free from the harmful effects of aflatoxins”

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