PLANT   HEALTH   CRUCIAL  FOR  HUMANS

By GLORIA SIWISHA

PLANT health is crucial for humans, as plants supply 80 % of our food, and account for 98 % of the oxygen that we breathe.

Plants also play a key role in environmental health.

Simply put, our lives depend on plants and that’s why their health matters.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), a decline in plant health translates to a decline in the quality of our food intake, potentially leading to malnutrition and related health problems.

However, experts estimate that nearly 40 percent of global crops succumb to pests and diseases annually, posing serious challenges to food security, biodiversity, and economic stability.

It is for these reasons that this year’s celebrations to mark the International Day of Plant health were anchored on the theme: “The Importance of Plant Health in One Health.”

In Chipata District, the celebrations were spearheaded by the Department of Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Services (PQPS), and included a fruit-tree planting exercise, which was conducted at Kalunga Farmer Training Centre, in Chief Sairi’s chiefdom.

Speaking at the event, the Provincial Agricultural Coordinator Adreen Nansungwe observed that this year’s theme emphasized the inter-connectedness of plant health with human and animal health.

Dr Nansungwe said if nothing was done to curb plant pests and diseases, they would affect food sources, including agricultural production, forests and aquatic resources.

She said all these factors could ultimately impact people’s health and well-being, in one way or another.

“It is therefore, my appeal that as we commemorate the International Day of Plant Health, we all commit ourselves to doing something to turn things around, by way of complying with international plant health standards, to curb the damages that plant pests cause to human, animal, and environmental health,” Dr Nansungwe said, in a speech read for her by Senior Extension Methodologist, George Zulu.

Chief Sairi of the Ngoni people of Chipata District thanked the Government for enlightening community members about the importance of plant health and the various legal provisions to prevent the spread of pests, as well as promote fair trade.

Chief Sairi, who spoke through a representative, said access to information is needed for communities to make informed decisions.

The International Day of Plant Health was designated by the United Nations to be celebrated annually on May 12 to raise awareness about the crucial importance of plant health. -NAIS