Kenyan Senior Public Health Officers to Engage in Biotech Outreach
March 19, 2010| |
The Public Health Department is one of the key regulatory agencies designated in Kenya's Biosafety Act. Public health officers in Kenya interact closely with consumers and the general public at large. They are regarded as credible sources of information and they command a significant degree of trust on all health-related matters including the safety of modern biotechnology products.
However, health officers have little information on biotechnology and biosafety as well as status and trends in Kenya and other regions of the world. Some of the officers admitted having sent mixed signals to consumers on the safety of genetically modified foods. This was revealed during a training course on communicating the risks and benefits of modern biotechnology held on 15-16 March 2010 in Nairobi for Provincial and District Officers of Health from various parts of the country.
Presiding over the official opening session, Mr. Kepha Ombacho, the Chief Public Officer in the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, emphasized the importance of training public health officers in demystifying the myths associated with biotechnology and relaying reliable and accurate information that consumers can use to make informed decisions. At the end of the two-day training course, the participants acknowledged having gained a lot of knowledge and enhanced confidence to handle the media and respond to emerging biotechnology and biosafety issues. They will also take the responsibility of echoing the skills and knowledge gained to junior officers at the grassroots. The officers stated that they will request the Ministry to introduce courses in biotechnology and biosafety in the curriculum of public health learning institutions in the country.
The course was organized under a collaborative agreement between the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) AfriCenter, the Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS) and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation.
For more information contact David Wafula Program for Biosafety Systems at d.wafula@cgiar.org
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- IFPRI Research on Pro-Poor Biotech and Biosafety
- Most Desired Plant Improvements for Agricultural Productivity
- Kenyan Senior Public Health Officers to Engage in Biotech Outreach
- WB Approves Grant for Kenyan Farmers
- Continuous Excellent Growth of the Africa Rice Center
- New Drought Tolerant Soybean Varieties
- USDA ARS Scientists Develop New Lentil Variety
- Genetic Mapping of Green Algae for Biofuels
- Irrigation is not Critical to Herbicide Efficacy
- DuPont to Expand Plant Genetic Resources Facilities
- Unmasking the Devastating Fusarium Disease by CSIRO
- Online Survey on Gene Technology
- Bayer CropScience and CSIRO Strengthens Collaboration on Cereal Crops
- Bangladesh Academic Calls for Establishment of Biotech Institute
- Resistance to Bt Cotton Reported in Western India
- Changing the Environment for Transgenics in Europe
- Royal Society Report Calls for Increased Investment in Science and Innovation
-
Research Highlights
- Horizontal Gene Transfer in Fungi
- Scientists Develop Transgenic Plants With Increased Glutathione
- Glucose Transport in Rice Studied
- Novel Sequencing Utilizing a Novel Two-Stage Sequence Capture Method
-
Announcements
- 2010 Bio International Convention
- Biotechnica in Germany
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (March 19, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (March 12, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet