A national meeting, convened between 17–19 February 2025, brought together leading experts and stakeholders to develop comprehensive national guidelines to improve the detection and response to foodborne disease outbreaks.

The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the World Health Organization and with the involvement of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Organization for Standardization and Quality Control, collaborated to organize the meeting.

The initiative underscored the government’s commitment to safeguarding public health and promoting food safety in Iraq.

In her opening remarks, Director of Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Baghdad) Dr Sinan Ghazi stressed the importance of a coordinated approach to tackling foodborne diseases that pose a significant threat to public health and the economy.