1.6 Million Fall Ill Daily Due To Contaminated Food: WHO (image:pixabay.com/)
World Health Organisation (WHO) says that 1.6 million peoples fall to ill daily across the world due to the consumption of contaminated, unsafe food. The UN Health body revealed the count on Thursday, a day before June 7, which is observed as the World Food Safety Day, aims to increase awareness about the importance of food safety and encourage food safety initiatives worldwide.
WHO Regional Director Saima Wazed said that out of 1.6 million people, 40% are children under the age of 5 years who are already at a higher risk of malnutrition and mortality due to unsafe food. She added that this scenario will leads to reduced productivity and raises medical costs resulting from foodborne illness that amount to an estimated annual loss of $110 billion, in low- and middle-income countries.
Saima also mentioned that after Africa, the Southeast Asia Region bears the second highest health threat, estimates 150 million illness every year. The Regional Director appealed that Food safety is a collective responsibility, and governments, producers, and consumers need to play their role in ensuring food safety.
Saima Wazed is the daughter of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has appointed as Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia Region earlier this year.
An earlier report of WHO on Global Strategy for Food Safety has found that an estimated 600 million people- almost one in 10 people in the world- fall ill after eating contaminated food , resulting in a global annual burden of 33 million disability adjusted life years (DALY) and premature deaths.
Few points suggested by WHO to prevent food contamination includes keeping clean and washed hands every time, protection of kitchen areas from insects and pets, storage of food in containers, thorough cooking of food especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood items, keeping of food at safe temperatures, and usage of safe water and raw materials.
(This article is part of a Timeline internship project)
