Geneva : The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned of growing global risks associated with food contamination, stressing that it is one of the leading causes of illness and death worldwide, particularly among children.
The WHO noted that consuming food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites or harmful chemicals causes around 1.5 million deaths annually, in addition to hundreds of millions of cases of foodborne illness.
According to an analysis conducted by the WHO based on data from 194 countries covering the period from 2000 to 2021, around 886 million people contract foodborne diseases each year. Children under the age of five are the most vulnerable group, facing nearly three times the risk of illness compared with older children and adults.
The report indicated that Africa and South-East Asia bear the largest share of the health burden, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all foodborne illnesses globally and around 60% of related deaths.
