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. 2020 Oct-Dec:15:100600.
doi: 10.1016/j.jemep.2020.100600. Epub 2020 Sep 29.

Food security and safety concerns in animal production and public health issues in Africa: A perspective of COVID-19 pandemic era

O Ejeromedoghene  1   2 , J N Tesi  3 , V A Uyanga  4 , A O Adebayo  2 , M C Nwosisi  3 , G O Tesi  5 , R O Akinyeye  6
Affiliations

Food security and safety concerns in animal production and public health issues in Africa: A perspective of COVID-19 pandemic era

O Ejeromedoghene et al. Ethics Med Public Health. 2020 Oct-Dec.

Abstract
in English, French

The impact of COVID-19 on food security can best be understood from the downturn on agricultural and other related economic activities which were almost brought to a total halt during the pandemic. The restriction of movement/lockdown policy instituted by various governments heavily affected local and national food production as farmers could not go to their farmlands. More so, there was price gouging on raw food items as local farmers were reducing cultivation and harvest because of their safety. The lockdown also affected the transportation of food products from farms and local companies to the market and across inter-state/province borders. Additionally, many human infections traceable to disease outbreak from animal origin suggest a great risk of exposure to infectious agents by live animal farmers. In combating this menace, local food production needs to be encouraged more, while measures should be put in place to facilitate farmer's participation in government regulations on enforcing biosecurity, health standards, disease monitoring, and surveillance practices.

L’impact de la COVID-19 sur la sécurité alimentaire peut être mieux compris à partir du ralentissement des activités agricoles, et autres activités économiques connexes, qui ont été presque totalement interrompues pendant la pandémie. La restriction des déplacements et le verrouillage institué par les différents gouvernements ont fortement affecté la production alimentaire locale et nationale, les agriculteurs ne pouvant plus se rendre sur leurs terres. De plus, les prix des produits alimentaires bruts ont été réduits, car les agriculteurs locaux ont réduit leurs cultures et leurs récoltes en raison de leur sécurité. Le blocage a également affecté le transport des produits alimentaires des fermes et des entreprises locales vers le marché et au-delà des frontières entre les États et les provinces. En outre, de nombreuses infections humaines, dont on peut retracer l’origine animale, suggèrent un grand risque d’exposition des éleveurs d’animaux vivants à des agents infectieux. Pour lutter contre cette menace, il convient d’encourager davantage la production alimentaire locale, tout en mettant en place des mesures visant à faciliter la participation des agriculteurs aux réglementations gouvernementales relatives à l’application de la biosécurité, des normes sanitaires, du suivi des maladies et des pratiques de surveillance.

Keywords: Agricultural produce; Animal production; COVID-19; Food security; Public health; Risk assessment.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Informal cross border trade in the East Africa regions between April–May, 2020. Adapted from . Commerce transfrontalier informel dans les régions d’Afrique de l’Est entre avril et mai 2020. Adapté de .
Figure 2
Figure 2
Total informal cross border trade in the East African Grain Markets. Adapted from . Total du commerce transfrontalier informel sur les marchés céréaliers d’Afrique de l’Est. Adapté de .
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