Online Reporter
Disability Issues
Dr Christine Peta
Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Food Safety Day, observed annually on June 7.
The day serves as a global call to action, urging us to strengthen systems that prevent, detect and manage food-borne risks.
Access to safe food is fundamental to human survival and well-being, including for persons with disabilities.
When food is contaminated, it can carry invisible dangers — bacteria, viruses, parasites or harmful chemicals — that enter the body through what we eat or drink, leading to illness or even death.
Food safety is, therefore, essential at every stage of the food chain: from the farm to the table, during production, harvesting, processing, storage, transport and preparation.
Strict standards are needed to ensure that food remains safe for consumption, including for persons with disabilities.
For persons with disabilities, food safety systems carry unique risks that are often overlooked in public health debates.
The World Health Organisation estimates that unsafe food causes over 600 million cases of food-borne illness annually.
For persons with disabilities, these risks are magnified by limited access to information, inadequate infrastructure and social exclusion.
Food safety is not just about hygiene and regulation; it is about equity, accessibility and dignity. Persons with disabilities face multiple challenges that intersect with food safety. Campaigns often rely on written materials or digital platforms that are not accessible to individuals with visual, hearing or cognitive impairments.
Kitchens, markets and food processing facilities are rarely designed with accessibility in mind, making it harder for persons with disabilities to monitor or control food preparation.
Poverty disproportionately affects persons with disabilities, limiting their ability to afford safe, nutritious food.
Cheaper options are often less regulated and more prone to contamination.
Many persons with disabilities rely on caregivers for food preparation. If caregivers lack training in food safety, risks multiply.
In rural communities, persons with disabilities often depend on subsistence farming or informal markets, where food safety standards are minimal. In urban areas, limited access to refrigeration, clean water and accessible cooking facilities compounds the problem.
Unsafe food has devastating consequences for persons with disabilities.
Documented cases show they suffer disproportionately from food-borne illnesses, which exacerbate existing health conditions, weaken immune systems and increase medical costs.
Malnutrition, often linked to unsafe or poor-quality food, can worsen impairments and reduce independence.
The psychological toll is equally significant: Exclusion from safe food systems reinforces stigma and undermines dignity.
One disability rights advocate in Harare observed: “Food safety is not just about preventing illness; it is about ensuring that persons with disabilities can live with dignity, knowing that their right to safe and nutritious food is respected.”
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for ending hunger (Goal 2) and ensuring healthy lives (Goal 3).
For Zimbabwe, aligning these goals with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) means integrating disability into food safety policies.
Food systems must recognise that persons with disabilities are not passive recipients but active participants whose voices must shape standards and practices.
Experts argue that food safety and disability must be addressed together. Campaigns should use braille, sign language, easy-to-read formats and digital accessibility standards.
Markets, kitchens and food facilities must be designed to accommodate persons with disabilities.
Caregivers should receive education on safe food handling, storage and preparation. Persons with disabilities must be included in policy-making and monitoring.
Universities and research institutions, such as the emerging Global University of Inclusivity, should play a transformative role in advancing food safety and disability inclusion.
Safe food is not a privilege; it is a human right that must extend to every person, regardless of ability. As Zimbabwe advances NDS2 and aligns with the SDGs, disability-inclusive food safety reflects the nation’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable development.
Dr Christine Peta is a disability, public health, policy, international development and research expert. She can be contacted on: developafrica2020 @gmail.com
