GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that food contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or toxic chemicals causes an estimated 1.5 million deaths globally each year, with young children being the most affected group.
According to a WHO analysis covering 194 countries between 2000 and 2021, around 886 million people fall ill every year after consuming unsafe food. The report highlighted that children under the age of five face nearly three times higher risk compared to other age groups.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that food safety remains a critical global concern, saying it affects “every meal, every family, every day.”
While the overall burden of food-borne diseases has declined since 2000, the report pointed to significant regional inequalities. Africa and Southeast Asia together account for nearly three-quarters of global cases and around 60 percent of deaths.
In 2021 alone, approximately 860 million cases of food-borne illness were recorded, with bacteria and viruses identified as the leading biological causes.
The report further noted that chemical contamination, including exposure to substances such as arsenic and lead, was responsible for a disproportionately high number of deaths.
WHO technical expert Yuki Minato warned that food-borne diseases are being worsened by climate change, which increases contamination risks, as well as antimicrobial resistance, which reduces the effectiveness of treatments.
The study also estimated that food-borne diseases resulted in a global economic loss of nearly $647 billion in productivity in 2021, highlighting the growing health and financial burden worldwide.
