Unsafe food kills 1.5 million people every year, WHO warns of foodborne diseases
Unsafe food causes an estimated 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths worldwide every year, with young children facing the highest risks, according to new figures released by the World Health Organization ahead of World Food Safety Day.
The WHO said children under the age of five are particularly vulnerable to foodborne diseases, suffering nearly three times the risk compared with older children and adults. Despite making up only 9 percent of the world's population, young children account for almost one third of all foodborne illness cases globally, News.az reports.
The new estimates reveal that contaminated food remains a major public health challenge, particularly in low and middle income countries. Deadly diarrhoeal diseases continue to be among the leading causes of illness and death linked to unsafe food consumption.
According to the report, biological hazards such as bacteria, viruses and parasites were responsible for approximately 860 million cases of foodborne illness in 2021, making them the primary cause of disease outbreaks linked to food.
However, chemical contamination was found to cause a disproportionately high number of deaths. The WHO estimates that chemical hazards contributed to 73 percent of all foodborne deaths worldwide. Inorganic arsenic and lead were identified as the most dangerous substances, accounting for 42 percent and 31 percent of chemical related deaths respectively.
Health experts warned that exposure to toxic chemicals through food can have severe long term consequences, particularly for children. Substances such as methylmercury and lead can damage developing brains, impair cognitive abilities and lead to lifelong neurological disorders.
While the overall burden of foodborne disease has declined since 2000, significant regional disparities remain. Africa and South East Asia continue to experience the highest rates of illness and death linked to unsafe food.
The WHO stressed that many foodborne diseases are preventable through improved access to clean water, better sanitation and hygiene practices, stronger food safety regulations, widespread pasteurization and improved healthcare services.
Beyond the health consequences, unsafe food also imposes a heavy economic burden. The study estimates that foodborne illnesses caused around 310 billion dollars in lost productivity in 2021 as workers were forced to miss work due to sickness. When adjusted for differences in living costs across countries, the total economic impact rises to an estimated 647 billion dollars.
"Food safety is not an abstract issue. It touches every meal, every family, every day," WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
The report was published ahead of World Food Safety Day on June 7. This year's theme is "From burden to solutions – safe food everywhere," highlighting the need for coordinated global action to reduce preventable illnesses and deaths caused by contaminated food.
By Faig Mahmudov
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