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Culture & Society
Unsafe food leads to 1.5 million deaths yearly and causes significant economic losses worldwide, with children under five at highest risk, according to WHO.
The World Health Organization has issued a warning about the increasing dangers posed by contaminated food, highlighting that unsafe food remains a leading cause of illness and death globally, particularly among children.
According to the organization, food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or harmful chemicals results in approximately 1.5 million deaths each year and sickens hundreds of millions with foodborne diseases.
The WHO also cautioned about the risks linked to exposure to hazardous chemicals and heavy metals in food, such as methylmercury and lead. These substances cause severe damage to the developing brains of children, leading to neurological and developmental problems as well as lifelong intellectual disabilities.
An analysis covering data from 194 countries between 2000 and 2021 revealed that around 886 million people annually suffer from illnesses related to contaminated food. Children under the age of five face a risk of infection that is three times higher than that of others.
The report identified Africa and Southeast Asia as bearing the greatest burden of these diseases, accounting for about three-quarters of global cases and nearly 60% of total deaths.
Chemical hazards represented a striking 73% of all deaths caused by contaminated food. Inorganic arsenic was responsible for 42% of chemical poisoning deaths, followed by lead at 31%, due to their direct association with increased risks of cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
The impact of contaminated food extends beyond health consequences to negatively affect the global economy. The study indicated that foodborne diseases have led to massive productivity losses from work absenteeism, estimated at around 310 billion US dollars, rising to approximately 647 billion dollars when adjusted for differences in living costs among countries.
