Mrs Theodora Jonah, Coordinator of the Self Help Education Programme, of Ghana Education Service, has noted that mishandling of prepared food is a threat to public health.

She also attributed the situation to combination of factors including lack of self-compliance attitude among food vendors and best practices in food preparation.

Mrs Jonah was addressing school children at the Salvation and Korle Gonno Cluster of Schools and urged them not to buy food at unhygienic places to enable them stay healthy.

She asked the school children to always wash their hands with running water in order not to contract cholera.

Numo Blafo III, Public Relation Officer of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly in an interview with Ghana News Agency said because school children are unaware of the possible sources of food contamination, it is important to sensitise them on some of the causes.

He said diarrhoea and cholera are related to food contamination often caused by street vendors. Numo Blafo advised the school children not to buy food exposed to flies and around gutters, adding: “Because you cannot be sure of its health safety.”