Ulaanbaatar: From July 4th to 6th, representatives from 15 organizations from Laos PDR, Mongolia, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Vietnam gathered in the Mongolian countryside to enhance their risk communication skills for food safety. Their mission is to ensure that food safety issues are effectively addressed.
According to EMM, the workshop was part of the One Health for Food Safety project, funded by the Republic of Korea. This initiative supports countries in applying risk analysis to tackle high-priority foodborne diseases and enhance collaboration across sectors and along the food chain. Effective risk communication, one of the three pillars of risk analysis, is crucial for the success of these efforts.
Each participating country faces unique food safety challenges. Mongolia, for instance, is working to reduce Salmonella in meat, while Lao PDR is addressing the high prevalence of liver flukes. Tanzania is focused on controlling Brucella spp. in milk, and Vietnam aims to lower the risk of life-threatening infections caused by Streptococcus suis. During the workshop, participants developed skills in crafting risk communication plans tailored to their specific food safety concerns, including identifying target audiences, crafting clear messages, and selecting appropriate communication methods and channels.