Food poisoning causes 125,000 child deaths every YEAR

Food-borne diseases kill 125, 000 children annually

ON top of millions of days lost in productivity food poisoning kills 125,000 children each year, a shocking new report has found.

 

The first ever global estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO) discovered that 600million people - around one in 10 of the world’s population - get sick from eating contaminated food each year and, of this number, 420,000 die.

More staggeringly, even though they only make up nine per cent of the global population, children under five represent almost a third of these deaths. 

Food poisoning has resulted in 33m disability-adjusted life years (DALY), the measure given to overall disease burden. One DALY can be thought of as one lost year of healthy life.

 



Food poisoning has resulted in 33m disability-adjusted life years (DALY)



The WHO said that consumption of raw or undercooked meat, eggs, fresh produce and dairy products raise a particular problem for food poisoning. 

More common forms of food poisoning include norovirus, Salmonella and E.coli. Other major food borne diseases included typhoid fever, hepatitis A, tapeworm and aflatoxin - a mold that grows on poorly stored grain. 

Symptoms of food poisoning can be short-term (nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea) or more serious such as cancer, kidney or liver failure and brain disorders. 

 



Symptoms of food poisoning include stomach ache and nausea



Food poisoning and food-borne diseases pose a greater risk children, pregnant women, the elderly or those with a weakened immune system.

Experts say that good hygiene practices, hygienic food preparation and storage and proper food safety legislation, plus implementation of this legislation, are all ways to combat the risk food poisoning. 

While the research highlighted food poisoning is a public health concern globally, Africa and south-east Asia are the areas most affected. 

The report - a first of it’s kind - is the culmination of ten years of work from over 100 experts worldwide and examines food-borne diseases caused by 31 agents, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals.

 

Food poisoning and food-borne diseases pose a greater risk children, pregnant women and the elderly

Doctor Margaret Chan, Director-General of the WHO said: "Until now, estimates of food-borne diseases were vague and imprecise. 

"This concealed the true human costs of contaminated food. This report sets the record straight. Knowing which food-borne pathogens are causing the biggest problems in which parts of the world can generate targeted action by the public, governments, and the food industry."