The Coordinator of the Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA), Winta Sintayehu, yesterday disclosed that The Gambia has been selected among the six countries in the region to lead the fight against aflatoxin. She said the regional body's secretariat in consultation with the regional economic committees selected the country among the six to implement activities that would lead to the mitigation of the problem. She added that The Gambia is now one of the pilot countries. Speaking at the validation workshop for the National Aflatoxin Control and addendum to The Gambia National Agricultural Investment Plan (GNAIP), Madame Sintayehu said PACA decided to help The Gambia by employing a national consultant that will do a situational analysis of the Afrotoxin situation in the country. "I will extend the warm greeting from the Chairperson of the PACA steering committee who has continued to provide the leadership and guidance the continent needed at this time on mitigating aflatoxin," she said. Aflatoxin is any of a class of toxic compounds that are produced by certain molds found in food, and can cause liver damage and cancer. Experts say it poses a serious threat to international trade, health, food security and many other international development facets. "Within the last decade Africa has chosen to take its own common destiny in its own hands with real formation of commitment to increase agricultural production, thereby combating hunger, malnutrition and poverty and contribute in the new sustainable development goals," she said. "I am please to say that these activity have been underway since 2014, and in 2015 the situational analysis studies commissioned by PACA to asses aflotoxin situation in the country and to come up with a national action plan to mitigate aflotoxin, the study has therefore allowed to develop a comprehensive national aflotoxin action plan that is before you today for review and validation. We believe this plan is implementing in its entirety to tremendously help The Gambia address its aflotoxin issues and as well help and improve the health of its population affected by aflotoxin." She affirmed that the AU Commission, through PACA would continue to stand with the Government of The Gambia to fight against aflotoxin. "We will strive to achieve our vision of Africa free from harmful effects of aflotoxin." For her part, Rohey Bittaye-Darboe, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Office of the President, said aflatoxin has had multiple negative impacts to countries under the African continent including The Gambia. This fight, she went on, requires multi-sectoral efforts, adding that it is the reason people are being selected from different societies across the country to the validation of this national document. For her part, Zaineb Jallow, the Director of Food Safety and Quality Authority of The Gambia asserted that FSQA as the focal point of PACA in the country is committed towards ensuring a Gambia free from aflatoxin.