Theme: From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere
Location: Accra, Ghana
Date: 7th June, 2026
Women, Media and Change (WOMEC) joins the global community in commemorating World
Food Safety Day 2026 under the theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”
This year’s theme is both a challenge and a call to action. It reminds us that while foodborne
diseases continue to impose a heavy burden on individuals, families, communities, and health
systems, we already possess many of the tools, knowledge, and innovations needed to prevent these illnesses and create safer food systems for all.
As an organisation committed to promoting maternal and child Nutrition, women’s empowerment, gender equality, and inclusive development through advocacy and evidence-based engagement, WOMEC recognises that access to safe and nutritious food is fundamental to health, dignity, and human development.
Food is more than sustenance. It is a source of life, dignity, opportunity, and hope. Every meal should nourish, strengthen, and protect. Yet for millions of people around the world, food that is meant to sustain life instead becomes a source of illness, suffering, and even death. The consequences of unsafe food extend far beyond temporary sickness. They affect educational attainment, productivity, economic growth, and the overall quality of life of individuals and communities.
The burden is especially severe for vulnerable populations. Children under five years of age bear a disproportionate share of foodborne diseases, often suffering consequences that can affect their growth, development, and long-term health. For pregnant women, exposure to unsafe food can have devastating implications, threatening not only their own health but also the health and survival of their unborn children.
As we reflect on this year’s theme, we must remember that food safety is inseparable from maternal and child nutrition. Good nutrition can only achieve its intended impact when food is safe for consumption. A healthy pregnancy depends on access to food that is both nutritious and free from harmful contaminants. Similarly, a child’s growth, cognitive development, and overall well-being depend on safe and nutritious foods, particularly during the critical first 1,000 days of life.
When food is contaminated, it can contribute to infections, poor nutrient absorption, malnutrition, stunting, and other adverse health outcomes that undermine the health and development of both mothers and children. When food safety is compromised, families bear the burden. Mothers bear the burden. Children bear the burden. Entire communities bear the burden.
Women, who often serve as primary caregivers, food preparers, food vendors, and key actors
across food systems, play a critical role in ensuring food safety within households and
communities. However, they are also among those most affected by the consequences of unsafe food, particularly when caring for sick family members or managing household food security challenges. Promoting food safety is therefore also a matter of advancing gender-responsive public health and development outcomes.
On this World Food Safety Day, WOMEC calls on:
Government institutions to strengthen awareness, invest in prevention, promote accountability, and support solutions that protect every person from farm to table. Regulatory agencies should enhance monitoring and enforcement of food safety standards. Health institutions and development partners should integrate food safety messaging into maternal and child health and nutrition programmes. Food producers, processors, and vendors must adhere to established safety standards and best practices. The media should increase public education and reporting on food safety issues, while civil society organizations should continue to advocate for stronger food systems and consumer protection. Citizens must adopt safe food handling, preparation, and storage practices to protect themselves and their families.
As we mark World Food Safety Day 2026, let us recommit ourselves to building stronger food
safety systems, protecting public health, advancing maternal and child nutrition, and ensuring that safe food becomes a reality for all.
“Safe food saves lives. Safe food supports nutrition. Safe food strengthens communities and
secures our future.”
-end-
Signed
cbinka
Dr. Charity Binka. Executive Director (WOMEC)
Contact: +233 55 795 2735. Email: womec123@gmail.com/ info@womec.org
