The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that unsafe food contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals causes around 1.5 million deaths globally every year, with young children among the most affected groups. The findings come from a comprehensive analysis covering 194 countries between 2000 and 2021, highlighting food safety as a major ongoing global public health challenge.

According to the WHO report, an estimated 886 million people fall ill each year due to foodborne diseases linked to unsafe food consumption. The data shows that children under the age of five are particularly vulnerable, being nearly three times more likely to be affected than older age groups. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed that food safety is a daily concern that impacts every household and is not merely an abstract global issue.

While the overall number of food-related illnesses has declined since 2000, the report highlights stark regional disparities. Africa and Southeast Asia together account for nearly three-quarters of all foodborne illness cases and around 60% of related deaths worldwide. These regions continue to face significant challenges in sanitation, food handling systems, and healthcare access, which contribute to the higher burden.

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The report also notes that biological hazards such as bacteria and viruses are responsible for the majority of foodborne illnesses, with approximately 860 million cases recorded in 2021 alone. However, chemical contamination, including exposure to substances like arsenic and lead, accounts for a disproportionately high number of deaths, making it a major concern for global health authorities.

WHO officials have further warned that the problem is being worsened by climate change, which increases the risk of contamination in food systems, and by antimicrobial resistance, which makes infections harder to treat. The agency estimates that foodborne diseases resulted in a global economic loss of around $647 billion in productivity in 2021, underscoring the far-reaching impact of unsafe food beyond health alone.

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