New insights released Wednesday ahead of next week’s World Food Safety Day show that children under five are particularly vulnerable.
Although they represent Only nine percent of the world’s population suffers from almost a third of all foodborne illnesses.many of them serious diarrheal diseases that can be fatal, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
No abstraction
Exposure to chemicals such as lead and methylmercury through food can also damage the developing brain and cause lifelong neurological and developmental problems in children.
“Food security is not an abstract issue: it affects every meal, every family, every day.. Harmful foods have always been a major public health problem, but until now we didn’t have a broader view of their staggering human and economic cost. These new estimates change that,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The study found that Foodborne bacteria, viruses and parasites accounted for the majority of illnesses – around 860 million cases in 2021 alone.. However, chemical contamination was responsible for the majority of deaths related 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 contributors.largely because prolonged exposure increases the risk of heart disease and cancers. Together, the two substances were linked to more than a million deaths in a single year.
Food can become contaminated through contaminated water, improperly handled products, or toxins entering the food chain through environmental pollution and industrial activities.
Once chemicals like arsenic, lead, or methylmercury enter the food supply, they are often difficult or impossible to remove.
Uneven loading
The burden is not shared equally.
who said Africa and Southeast Asia account for nearly three-quarters of all foodborne illnesses. and 60 percent of global deaths. Children and people living in low-income communities face the greatest risks, reflecting persistent inequalities in food systems, access to health care, and sanitation.
The impact also extends far beyond health.
The WHO estimates that foodborne illnesses caused about $310 billion in lost productivity in 2021 for time away from work. Adjusted for differences in the cost of living between countries, economic losses amount to an estimated $647 billion.
‘A wake up call’
“This report is a wake-up call, but also a roadmap,“said Yuki Minato, WHO technical officer for food safety and lead author of the study published in The Lancet Global Health.
“The data shows that foodborne illnesses are not only persistent but are also worsened by climate changewhich increases the risks of contamination, and by antimicrobial resistance, which makes infections more difficult to treat. “We cannot face these threats alone.”
The WHO said the findings should help countries target interventions, strengthen surveillance and improve cooperation between the health, agriculture and environment sectors.
“Delay costs lives,” Minato warned.
