The president of the Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria, Dr. Olusegun Atanda, has called for the United Nations to declare a World Mycotoxins Day to spread awareness of the dangers posed by mycotoxins to food safety and public health.
In particular, he said, there is a need to create more awareness on aflatoxins. “There is the need for the UN to declare a world mycotoxins day,” said Atanda. “If [the UN] can declare one for HIV/AIDS, if they can declare one for malaria, if they can have one for all sorts of things, there must be a world mycotoxins day where people can get to know the implications and learn new things about mycotoxins.”
Atanda said he commends current efforts at creating awareness about the disease with the creation of Partnership for Aflatoxins Control in Africa, PACA, but there is a need to mobilize more resources at fighting the disease. He said there is also a need to build capacity among health practitioners, researchers and farmers, while laboratories for the testing of aflatoxins must also be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Sub-Saharan Africa is at particular risk due to it climatic condition.
