The World Health Organisation has released its first ever report on foodborne diseases. The report was titled “Estimates of the Global Burden of Foodborne Diseases”, which is the most comprehensive report to date on the impact of contaminated food on health and wellbeing.
The report provides the first estimates of global foodborne disease including, mortality, and disease burden in terms of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs).
Significance of the report
- Until now, estimates of foodborne diseases were vague and imprecise.
- This concealed the true human costs of contaminated food. This report sets the record straight
- Knowing which foodborne pathogens are causing the biggest problems in which parts of the world can generate targeted action by the public, governments, and the food industry.
- These estimates are the result of a decade of work, including input from more than 100 experts from around the world.
Major impact of foodborne diseases
- While the burden of foodborne diseases is a public health concern globally, African and South-East Asia Regions have the highest incidence and highest death rates, including among children under the age of 5 years.
- The global burden of foodborne diseases is considerable, it affects people all over the world – particularly children under 5 years of age and people in low-income areas.
Important findings of the report
- There were 31 foodborne risks, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals, that caused 600 million foodborne illnesses and 420000 deaths worldwide in 2010 .
- The most frequent causes of foodborne illness were diarrhoeal disease agents, particularly norovirus and Campylobacter.
Foodborne Illness
Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease and colloquially referred to as food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the food spoilage of contaminated food, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food, as well as chemical or natural toxins such as poisonous mushrooms.
