Prof. Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health, , on Friday, said that at the least 5,160 Nigerians die yearly as a result of preventable food-borne diseases.


Speaking in Ilorin, Kwara State, during an awareness programme on food safety, Adewole, who was represented by the Director, Food and Drug Services Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Anthonia Opara, said that the importance of food safety as a public health and economic concerns in the world today couldn’t be over-emphasised.

He stated that the Federal Ministry of Health had always placed great emphasis on food safety to ensure that the health of citizens was not jeopardised.

Adewole said, “Recently, the nation had been plagued with preventable food-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, Lassa fever, chemical contamination, resulting in up to 5,160 deaths yearly.

“These have been linked to chronic diseases such as systemic failure and cancer. These diseases are generally the consequence of poor food safety culture and poor hygiene practices in the country.”