…under 5 accounts for one third of deaths

By Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale

The first ever global estimates of food-borne diseases carried out by the World Health Organisation, WHO, has revealed that not less than 420,000 people died yearly from eating contaminated food.

The report also showed that  as many as 600 million, (one in 10 people) in the world, fall ill annually.

Reacting to the report, Director-General of WHO, Dr Margaret Chan said: “ it is regrettable that 30 percent of all deaths from foodborne diseases are in children under the age of five years, despite the fact that they make up only 9 percent of the global population.

“Children under 5 years of age are at particularly high risk, with 125 000 children dying from foodborne diseases every year. Diarrhoeal diseases are responsible for more than half of the global burden of foodborne diseases, causing 550 million people to fall ill and 230 000 deaths every year.

“Children are at particular risk of foodborne diarrhoeal diseases, with 220 million falling ill and 96 000 dying every year.
Diarrhoea is often caused by eating raw or undercooked meat, eggs, fresh produce and dairy products contaminated by norovirus, Campylobacter, non-typhoidal Salmonella and pathogenic E. coli. Other major contributors to the global burden of foodborne diseases are typhoid fever, hepatitis A, tapeworm, and aflatoxin.”

“While the burden of foodborne diseases is a public health concern globally, the WHO African and South-East Asia Regions have the highest incidence and highest death rates, including among children under the age of five years.”