Ms Mary Stella Mavenjina, the Head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in northern Uganda has warned that the consumption of poorly stored cereal is likely to lead to increase in cases of cancer.
Mavejina, a nutritionist says that such cereals contain aflatoxin which is toxic chemical.
Speaking during the launch of Special Operations program in Gulu town on Wednesday, Mavejina noted that, (Majority of local farmers in the region do not store their harvested grains properly, this increases the chances of contamination.”
She noted that there are strong links between cancer and consumption of cereals which are poorly stored after harvest.
The Head of WFP says under the Special Operations, they will support farmers in Acholi sub region with silos so that they improve on quality.
According to Mavenjina, the project will go a long way in addressing health problems related to the consumption of contaminated cereals.
Mr Jackson Lakor, the Gulu District Agricultural Officer (DAO) warned that consumption of such cereals leads to liver cancer in humans.
Lakor noted that, “Due to poor storage, most of the farmers’ harvests are exposed to moisture leading to contamination.”
Mr Simon Nyero, a farmer from Oluba village, Ongako Sub County in Gulu district admits that there is a great problem when it comes to proper storage.
“Some of the farmers sell grains with high moisture content in order to boost the number of kilo during sales,” He said.
Prolonged exposure to aflatoxins by humans and animals leads to adverse effects to the various body systems of affected individuals including death.
Studies have linked aflatoxins to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
In Uganda, HCC is observed to be on increase in communities of South-Western Uganda.
A cross-sectional study conducted in 2009 in five districts of the region by US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health on 90 various food samples linked the problem to traditional methods of food processing.
The chemicals are mostly found in nutritional supplement to mainly cereal diets of maize, millet and sorghum.
5 Comments
I doubt that the cause of cancer is poor storage of the grains due to moisture absorption. That has been a longtime practice so there were no prevalence of cancer. What might be causing cancer should be investigated further e.g. injecting cows with chemicals from abroad then you hear that there is foot and mouth disease on the cows. The disease started in Europe and not in Africa – we could well be importing diseases from Europe.
Yes Guest you really hit it on the nail. And also the so called hybrid seeds are carrying chemicals that’s why children are nowadays some are born with tumours and lots of birth defects. Milk from hybrid cows are also dangerous to human health these animals are not naturally bred they are GM products. In the UK their milk is known as the “white stuff ” and you wonder why most people don’t drink it and opt for non dairy milk.
Uganda like to copy the western way of lifestyle but the consequences are creeping to follow the cat. Acholi has the best food crops on earth. They are Nyim, Kali, Kic, pot dek calo boo, malakwang, akeyo, oyado ki mukene nyieg deg calo ngoor muranga lapena agura ki pul. Cwaa ki nyuka kali kelo yot kom. Cak lukullu dyangi Acholi ki kic ber loyo chai cak ki cukari pa munu. Alego those who have exposed to health knowledge to help village people with understanding the risk of acquiring imported agricultural practices which are being imposed to them as a reseach testing. Thank you Guest continue with the good work
Good points Guest & Burra. I wish Owich spread these information to Acoli people in villages and every where, so that they stay awake. The main intention of these foreign bodies is to destroy sustainable traditional ways of lives/farming which has been sustaining people for thousands of generations by scaring people of their ways of doing things; and lead them away to something new which render them dependent, helpless and confused. It is then very easy to exploit, deceive, mis-educate and destroy confused people without any traditional values/ways of doing things.
Thank you Lacankometek you wrapped it up beautifully.
And another thing I would like to add to “wan kiken” is about Deero ki Layeb, Goga omyero pe kitam ni meno obedo jami aconya. There are reasons why they were made the way they are and food stuffs never get spoil from them. No to cemented and iron sheet storage which need chemical to prevent food from mould dew and rotting. Dongo lobo ocake ki bot wan Luo yabu wang wu.
Very good Burra, why should we give up on our thousands of years of ways, knowledge, research and traditions in favour of ‘Muno’s’ 5yrs of research. It will be like, we are giving up trillions of dollars in favour of five thousands dollars. We would be out of our minds to do that. Lucoo lok akwana mono gi dwoko lok/tam bot lwak bene?