Exposure to aflatoxins greater among poor in eastern Kenya

Leroy, Jef L.; Wang, Jia-Senhg; and Jones, Kelly M. 2015. Exposure to aflatoxins greater among poor in eastern Kenya. Project Note 3. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151480

This study is the first to show the significant association between poverty and aflatoxin exposure. Yet, whether or not aflatoxin truly causes child stunting is a question that can only be answered through a rigorous approach, such as a randomized-controlled trial. In the meantime, knowing that the poorest families are at the greatest health risk from this food-borne toxin suggests that ad-dressing aflatoxin contamination should be a priority for policy-makers concerned about the welfare of the poor. Furthermore, a better understanding of how better-off families manage to miti-gate aflatoxin exposure can be used to develop strategies that pro-tect the poor.