Food poisoning in the spotlight as Gauteng health dept reports continued rise in cases

JOHANNESBURG – The Gauteng health department has noted an alarming rise in cases of food poisoning, particularly in children, across the province.

Since February this year, the department has recorded 207 food poisoning cases affecting children, mostly prevalent in townships, hostels, and informal settlements. 

In the most recent incident, two siblings, aged four and six died from a suspected foodborne disease after consuming a common meal at home. 

Meanwhile, in 2023, incidents of food poisoning came under the spotlight after several school children allegedly died from consuming food bought from local spaza shops. 

The department called on the public to exercise extreme caution to ensure the safety of their children.

Spokesperson Motalatale Modiba: “We can do a lot, including discouraging illegal dumping. What we are picking up in some of these incidents is that children will play and consume stuff in areas where there is generally illegal dumping.”