Desk review of health-related food standards in east and southern Africa
Call closed
This desk review aims to identify the legal standards covering food safety and standards, key food management systems, with attention to general and specific food-related risks and health promoting standards, and the governance, functions, administration and financing of food systems in east and southern African countries. It is being commissioned by the Regional Network for Equity in Health in East and Southern Africa (EQUINET) in association with the ECSA Health Community. The paper aims to support improved legal and policy frameworks on health promoting food standards and systems by providing a desk review and matrix table of domestic legal and statutory provisions in 16 ESA countries (Angola, Botswana, DRC, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Zambia) taking note of key international and regional standards, and guidance.
The review will use online information from international agency websites and African and ESA regional organisations, and online legal databases for the above 16 countries to identify the most recent laws and specific standards in force for:
- International and regional standards and guidance relevant to food risks, safety and standards relating to the principles, rights, duties and authorities included, the key areas of food safety, risk, standards covered; and provisions/guidance on functions, governance and financing.
- Domestic law in relation to food and health in relation to scope, objectives and mission; principles, rights and duties; key areas of food safety, risks and standards; key functions; mechanisms and administration; governance and financing.
The consultant will provide a 30 page report; a tabulated appendix of legal standards ((constitution, acts and relevant regulations) in key areas for each of the 16 ESA countries and a 4 page summary brief. The review paper will be produced as an EQUINET discussion paper. It may be used thereafter as source material for other publications. It will be drafted, reviewed and final version produced between late September and end November 2022. Please send any queries on this work to the EQUINET secretariat at admin [at] equinetafrica.org.
