Why you should think twice before consuming that street-side Katogo

By Jimmy Ogwal 

The heavens have finally opened bringing great relief to the long and severe dry spell. But while we celebrate the much awaited rains that often herald great harvests, we should consume some foods, like vended food with caution. 

‘Vended' or ‘Street' food is defined by the World Health Organisation, as food prepared or sold by vendors in streets and other public places for immediate consumption without further processing or packaging. This includes traditional stews, fast foods like ‘katogo',muchomo (roasted animal and poultry products), Chapati or the famous rolex, fruits, vegetables and beverages. 

Sold mainly by the road, in markets, hallways, taxi/bus parks, garages, and workplace deliveries-food vending is a common practice in booming metropolitan areas like Kampala, a trend that has been attributed to rural-urban migration as it is a major source of income, especially for the women since it requires low capital investment. It is estimated that 40% of urban dwellers in Kampala consume street food as it is relatively cheaper and convenient. 

However, its consumption can turn out costly and inconveniencing when it leads to food-borne illnesses like cholera, typhoid, dysentery, etc. Most food vendors have no or minimal formal education, which makes them unable to appreciate the critical food handling practices. Poor or absence of routine supervision and monitoring plus weak enforcement of existing food regulations and standards aggravates risk of infection from consuming vended food. This is worsened by a weak handwashing culture and inadequate infrastructures that do not support safe food preparation and proper handling.  

Food business is governed by Section 281 of the Public Health Act, which requires ‘food joints' to have accessible running water and soap for handwashing, toilet facilities, refuse bins and medical examination for the food-handlers but this is hardly enforced. Water used for drinking, washing, cleaning and other food preparation processes is often insufficient and below acceptable quality. Besides, some food vendors carry out the final frying, grilling or baking in open stalls and during the process, raw materials and ready food may come into contact, compromising safety. A lot of vended food is also prepared from elsewhere and transported to the vending places using wheelbarrows, bicycles, pick-up trucks and passenger taxis, which further undermines its safety. 

Consequently, many vended food consumers end up developing complications and incur significant costs on treatment. Studies have shown that, as people increasingly consume food prepared outside the home, growing numbers are potentially exposed to the risks of poor hygiene in commercial foodservice settings. Unfortunately, too often, outbreaks of foodborne disease go unrecognised, unreported or are not investigated. Besides, few illnesses can be definitively linked to food. While not all diarrheal diseases are food-borne, food does represent an important vehicle for pathogens of substantial public health significance. And they do account for significant health costs for individuals. 

As such, as the rains progress, it is important that we strengthen our food monitoring systems that allow early detection, management and prevention of food-borne disease outbreaks. Recently, the Ministry of Health issued mitigation measures relating to rains and associated health consequences arising from environmental hazards, vector-borne diseases and consumption of unsafe water plus poor hygiene and sanitation. Consumption of vended food poses significant risk to diarrheal infections during the rainy season because most of the food points are make-shift shelters which worsens their sanitation and hygiene standards, encourages presence of germ-carrying flies and increases access to unsafe water. 

MoH should partner with Kampala City Council Authority to educate both hoteliers and food venders about food hygiene standards and monitor their facilities to protect the public from foodborne diseases. As a consumer, be more careful on where to eat ready, quick food. 

Public health experts say, ‘one ounce of prevention is equivalent to a kilo of treatment as it saves costs and prevents future outbreaks.' Think twice before eating that street-sidekatogo. 

The writer is a public health fellow on the Uganda Public Health Fellowship Programme, Ministry of Health