WHO says foodborne illnesses kill over 1.5 million people each year

The World Health Organization released new estimates on the global burden of foodborne disease in a report published in The Lancet Global Health. Analyzing data from 194 countries between 2000 and 2021, the WHO found that more than 800 million people fall ill and 1.5 million die annually from contaminated food. In 2021 alone, the agency estimates 866 million cases and 1.52 million deaths, most of which (about 860 million) are caused by microbial pathogens. Children under five, while only 9 % of the world’s population, account for nearly one‑third of cases.

Metal contamination drives a disproportionate share of fatalities: inorganic arsenic is linked to 42 % of deaths and lead to 31 %. The economic impact is estimated at $647 billion in lost productivity. The majority of illnesses (≈75 %) and deaths (≈60 %) occur in African and Southeast Asian regions. WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Unsafe food has always been a major public health concern, but until now we lacked the bigger picture of its staggering human and economic toll.”