Are Ghanaians aware of the aflatoxin menace?

Abstract

We conducted surveys in Ghana in 1999 and 2003 to assess the level of awareness of aflatoxins and their relevant harmful effects. The first survey was of peanut farmers, poultry farmers, retailers, processors, feed millers and consumers. It found very poor awareness of the problem, with only 8% of the 1983 respondents indicating knowledge of the word "aflatoxin". The second survey was of medical doctors, nurses, agriculturists, pharmacists, biologists and other professionals. This survey found a much higher knowledge of the words "mycotoxin" or "aflatoxin," ≥70% for most categories of interviewed persons, and, to a lesser extent, ≤40%, of the relevant adverse effects. The level of awareness depended on education, profession and position. Thus, awareness of aflatoxins among health, agricultural and some other professionals in Ghana is fair, but the general Ghanaian population is mostly unaware of the problem or its implications. The general lack of awareness, together with the inability of most of the responding professionals to accurately identify the harmful effects of aflatoxins suggests that the menace posed by the toxin is not well appreciated in Ghana.