GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that unsafe food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or harmful chemicals kills an estimated 1.5 million people globally each year, with children under five facing the highest risk.
In a study covering 194 countries between 2000 and 2021, the UN health agency found that around 886 million people fall ill annually due to foodborne diseases, with young children nearly three times more likely to be affected than other age groups.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said food safety is a universal issue affecting daily life, stressing that it impacts every family and every meal.
While overall cases of foodborne illness have declined since 2000, the report highlights persistent and significant regional disparities. Africa and Southeast Asia account for nearly three-quarters of global cases and around 60 percent of related deaths.
The study found that biological hazards such as bacteria and viruses caused the majority of infections, while chemical contamination, including exposure to substances such as arsenic and lead, was responsible for a disproportionate share of fatalities.
WHO food safety expert Yuki Minato warned that climate change and rising antimicrobial resistance are worsening contamination risks and making infections more difficult to treat.
The report also estimated that foodborne diseases resulted in approximately $647 billion in global economic losses in 2021 due to reduced productivity.