New information released on Wednesday ahead of World Food Safety Day next week shows that children under five are particularly vulnerable.
Although they represent Just nine percent of the world’s population suffers from nearly a third of all foodborne illnesses.many of which are serious diarrheal illnesses that can prove fatal, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
No abstraction
Exposure to chemicals such as lead and methylmercury through diet can also damage the developing brain and cause permanent neurological and developmental problems in children.
“Food security is not an abstract issue: it affects every meal, every family, every day.. Unsafe food has always been a major public health problem, but until now we lacked a comprehensive understanding of its enormous human and economic consequences. These new estimates are a game-changer,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The study found that foodborne bacteria, viruses and parasites caused most illnesses – around 860 million cases in 2021 alone. Yet chemical contamination is responsible for most deaths linked to unsafe food.
Impact of deadly chemicals
According to the WHO, chemical hazards accounted for 73 percent of deaths caused by contaminated food in 2021.
Inorganic arsenic and lead were the main contributorslargely because prolonged exposure increases the risk of heart disease and cancer. Together, the two substances were linked to more than a million deaths in a single year.
Food can be contaminated by unsafe water, improperly handled produce, or toxins entering the food chain through environmental pollution and industrial activities.
Once chemicals such as arsenic, lead or methylmercury enter the food supply, they are often difficult, if not impossible, to remove.
Unequal burden
The burden is not shared equally.
The WHO said Africa and Southeast Asia account for nearly three-quarters of all foodborne illnesses and 60 percent of deaths worldwide. Children and people living in low-resource communities face the greatest risks, reflecting persistent inequalities in food systems, access to health care and sanitation.
The impact also extends well beyond health.
The WHO estimates that foodborne illnesses have led to approximately $310 billion in lost productivity in 2021 due to work stoppage. Adjusted for differences in the cost of living between countries, the economic losses amount to approximately $647 billion.
“A wake-up call”
“This report is a wake-up call – but also a roadmap,” said Yuki Minato, WHO technical lead for food safety and lead author of the study published in The Lancet Global Health.
“Data shows that foodborne illnesses are not only persistent, but worsened by climate changewhich increases the risk of contamination, and by antimicrobial resistance, which makes infections more difficult to treat. We cannot fight these threats alone.
WHO said the findings should help countries target interventions, strengthen surveillance and improve cooperation between the health, agriculture and environment sectors.
“Any delay costs lives,” warned Ms. Minato.
