Health

Unsafe food causes 53,000 deaths annually in Nigeria – Minister

Published

2 months ago

June 9, 2026

Preport

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, says unsafe food causes nearly 50 million illnesses and more than 53,000 deaths annually in Nigeria.

Mr Salako stated this on Monday in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2026 World Food Safety Day with the theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”

He described food safety as a national development priority with far-reaching implications for public health, productivity, economic growth and the overall wellbeing of Nigerians.

According to him, foodborne diseases result in about 4.26 million years of healthy life lost annually through illness, disability and premature deaths across the country.

“Most of this burden falls heavily on children under five, who account for more than 80 per cent of all foodborne disease burdens in Nigeria,” he said.

“In practical terms, this means the true cost of unsafe food is measured not only in sickness and death, but also in lost cognitive, physical and developmental potential,” he said.

Mr Salako said the situation reflected a broader global challenge highlighted by recently updated estimates released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on foodborne diseases.

According to him, WHO estimates indicate that unsafe food causes about 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths globally every year.

He said Africa carried the highest per-capita burden of foodborne diseases, while children under five accounted for a disproportionate share of the global burden.

Disease burden

The minister said more than 40 million diarrhoeal illnesses in Nigeria were linked to foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, Campylobacter, Shigella and rotavirus.

He said that the infections remained major causes of hospitalisation, malnutrition and mortality among children, while chemical hazards were emerging as serious public health threats.

According to him, exposure to lead through contaminated grains, spices and water sources contributes significantly to illness, disability and premature deaths nationwide.

“These numbers underscore the urgency of strengthening food safety systems across the entire value chain,” Mr Salako said.

He emphasised the need for intensified surveillance, stronger preventive measures and improved coordination among stakeholders involved in food production, processing and distribution.

In spite of the burden, Mr Salako said Nigeria had made notable progress in strengthening food safety systems through coordinated national efforts and institutional collaboration.

He said the country’s 2023 Joint External Evaluation recorded measurable improvements across food safety indicators, while its 2025 State Party Annual Report exceeded WHO regional targets.

According to him, Nigeria is now among leading countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with functional systems for detecting, reporting and responding to foodborne disease outbreaks.

Mr Salako said the National Food Safety Management Committee had strengthened multi-sectoral collaboration, while surveillance guidelines had improved national response mechanisms significantly.

“The new WHO estimates are a call to action. These achievements must not lead to complacency. We must improve food safety practices in traditional and informal markets,” he said.

He also called for stronger surveillance of heavy metals and chemical contaminants, improved sanitation infrastructure, enhanced laboratory capacity and stricter compliance with food safety standards.

The minister said food safety extended beyond preventing infections and was critical to addressing hypertension, diabetes, obesity, stroke and cardiovascular diseases linked to diets.

He noted that Nigeria had developed National Guidelines for Sodium Reduction aligned with WHO benchmarks and was finalising regulations on sodium content in processed foods.

Mr Salako said the country was implementing trans-fat elimination regulations, making Nigeria one of Africa’s earliest adopters of WHO-recommended limits on industrial trans fats.

He added that government was strengthening sugar-sweetened beverage taxation and developing front-of-pack food labelling systems to support healthier consumer choices.

“These actions demonstrate our commitment to ensuring that food in Nigeria is not only safe, but also healthy,” he said.

The minister urged industries to reformulate products, reduce unhealthy ingredients, improve traceability and maintain accurate labelling, while encouraging research on emerging food hazards.

READ ALSO: WHO reports 515 Ebola cases, 91 deaths in DR Congo

He also appealed to Nigerians to adopt safer food handling practices, reduce consumption of excessively salty and sugary foods and embrace healthier dietary lifestyles.

“As we commemorate World Food Safety Day 2026, let us remember that food safety is everyone’s business. It saves lives, strengthens our economy and protects our children.

“Together, we can build a Nigeria where every household, every market and every community can confidently say: the food on our table is safe,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Food Safety Day is observed annually on 7 June to raise awareness and inspire action against foodborne risks.

(NAN)

Related Topics:annually deaths food Minister Nigeria Unsafe

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Health

Kano Renews Commitment to Eliminating Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B, Syphilis

Published

10 hours ago

July 24, 2026

Preport

The Kano State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating the mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis through improved antenatal care, early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Yusuf, made the commitment on Thursday during a summit on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the three infections held in Kano.

Yusuf said the infections are largely preventable, noting that syphilis can be completely cured if detected early and treated appropriately. He urged pregnant women and their partners to register for antenatal care as early as possible to enable health workers identify and manage any health complications affecting the mother or unborn child.

The commissioner disclosed that Kano is among the few states implementing the national **Triple Elimination Strategy**, aimed at ending the vertical transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis from mothers to their babies.

He expressed confidence that resolutions reached at the summit would strengthen the state’s response to the diseases and further improve maternal and child healthcare services.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Kano State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (KSACA), Usman Bashir, said the summit was organised to showcase the state’s progress in tackling the three infections.

According to him, the initiative aligns with both national and global efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis.

Bashir noted that while considerable progress has been made in preventing the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies, greater attention is still needed to address Hepatitis B and Syphilis.

He explained that Kano has expanded its interventions beyond routine testing by providing treatment and vaccination for Hepatitis B, as well as treatment for Syphilis.

According to him, pregnant women diagnosed with Hepatitis B are placed on **Tenofovir** where necessary, while newborns receive the Hepatitis B vaccine immediately after birth to reduce the risk of infection.

The KSACA director-general called on other states to adopt similar measures to accelerate Nigeria’s efforts to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of the three diseases.

He added that the North-West region has one of the highest Hepatitis B prevalence rates in the country, underscoring the need for sustained preventive interventions.

The summit brought together policymakers, development partners, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to assess progress and strengthen collaboration toward achieving the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis in Nigeria.

Health

WHO launches seven-point strategy to curb global drowning deaths

Published

1 day ago

July 23, 2026

Preport

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a new technical package containing seven proven strategies to help governments and communities prevent drowning, one of the leading causes of death among children globally.

The initiative, known by the acronym PROTECT, was unveiled ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day, observed annually on 25 July.

In a statement issued on Thursday, WHO said nearly 300,000 people die from drowning every year, making it one of the 10 leading causes of death among children aged five to 14 years worldwide.

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus described every drowning as a preventable tragedy and urged governments to adopt practical, evidence-based measures to save lives.

Mr Ghebreyesus said preventing drowning requires coordinated action across sectors rather than the efforts of a single ministry.

“The seven measures are packaged under the acronym, PROTECT, translating the Global Strategy for Drowning Prevention into practical policy guidance for countries,” he said.

According to him, the package focuses on safer physical infrastructure around water, improved rescue and resuscitation services, occupational safety for water-related work and stronger safety standards for water transport.

It also promotes swimming and water safety education, stronger childcare and safeguarding systems, and better preparedness for floods and other emergencies.

Mr Ghebreyesus said WHO launched the PROTECT package in Ghana in recognition of the country’s growing commitment to drowning prevention and efforts to improve water safety.

He said it estimated that more than 1,100 people died from drowning annually in Ghana, equivalent to approximately three deaths every day.

READ ALSO: Nearly 2.7 billion people cannot have healthy diet – WHO

Mr Ghebreyesus said that children and young adults accounted for the highest burden.

WHO boss said that Ghana’s leadership demonstrated how evidence-based policies could reduce drowning deaths and encouraged other governments to adopt similar preventive measures.

Kelly Henning, who leads the public health programme at Bloomberg Philanthropies, said the framework would save lives, while strengthening global efforts to reduce drowning through proven interventions.

Mr Henning said that since 2014, Bloomberg Philanthropies had partnered with WHO on drowning prevention.

World Drowning Prevention Day theme, “Unite to Turn the Tide,” calls for coordinated action by governments, partners and communities to prevent drowning and save lives.

(NAN)