Food Safety Guidelines released by MLGRD in Ghana

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) released National Food Safety Guidelines to be implemented by Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in Ghana. The document provides a framework to guide MMDAs to address food safety issues that occur along the value chain. These guidelines will help local governments implement safe food handling practices by providing key regulations and standards that serve as templates for MMDAs to implement in their jurisdictions.

The SaniPath Tool was deployed in neighborhoods in Kumasi and Accra and the results revealed high levels of E. coli contamination on raw produce and street food. These results were used by local public health professionals to prioritize efforts to address food safety in Ghana. The new guidelines will be used to ensure the highest level of food safety standards are adhered to throughout the food supply chain to prevent fecal contamination from occurring and to improve public health. To view the results from the exposure assessments, visit the SaniPath Results Dashboard page and select "Accra" and "Kumasi" on the left-hand side of the page.

Photo credit and information: "MLGRD Launches National Food Safety Guidelines" by Eric Nana Yaw Kwafo.

Diagnostic Tools and Guidelines for FSM with a Focus on Fecal Waste, Tracking and Public Health

CL Moe, E Perez, S Raj, and D Berendes

3rd International Faecal Sludge Management Conference 2015 (January 2015)

As a side event during the 3rd International Faecal Sludge Management Conference, Dr. Christine Moe, Eddy Perez, Suraja Raj, and David Berendes presented within a session called Diagnostic Tools and Guidelines for FSM, with a focus on Faecal Waste and Tracking and Public Health. This session “presented the overarching framework of the WSP FSM study, and focused on key diagnostic tools being developed by GIZ, Emory University, and WSP.” This session used “presentations, case study-based group work, and open discussion” to familiarize participants with the SFD, SaniPath, and ESI tools. The session also gave participants the opportunity to engage with the tools and learn how to enhance the use and application of the tools to address FSM service delivery.