WHO’S FIRST EVER GLOBAL ESTIMATES OF FOODBORNE DISEASES FIND CHILDREN UNDER 5 ACCOUNT FOR ALMOST ONE THIRD OF DEATHS

“These estimates are the result of a decade of work, including input from more than 100 experts from around the world. They are conservative, and more needs to be done to improve the availability of data on the burden of foodborne diseases. But based on what we know now, it is apparent that the global burden of foodborne diseases is considerable, affecting people all over the world particularly children under 5 years of age and people in low-income areas,” says Dr Kazuaki Miyagishima, Director of WHO’s Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses.