Children Under Five Face Highest Risk from Contaminated Food – WHO Warns
Oluwafunbi Bello 
World Health Organisation (WHO), Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
ABUJA, Nigeria – The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that children under the age of five are disproportionately affected by unsafe food, accounting for nearly one-third of all foodborne disease cases worldwide despite representing only a fraction of the global population.
The warning comes as the global health agency released new estimates showing that contaminated food causes approximately 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths annually.
According to the WHO, children under five faces almost three times the risk of illness from unsafe food compared to older children and adults.
The organisation noted that diarrhoeal diseases remain among the leading threats to young children, while exposure to toxic contaminants such as lead, inorganic arsenic and methylmercury can result in permanent neurological and developmental damage.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described food safety as a critical public health issue affecting families worldwide.
“Food safety is not an abstract issue – it touches every meal, every family, every day,” he said.
The report revealed that bacteria, viruses and parasites were responsible for most foodborne illnesses in 2021, while chemical contaminants accounted for the majority of related deaths.
WHO also estimated that foodborne diseases resulted in about $310 billion in lost productivity globally during the year under review.
Africa and South-East Asia recorded the highest burden, accounting for nearly three-quarters of global foodborne illnesses and around 60 per cent of related deaths.
The agency called on governments to strengthen food safety systems, improve surveillance and invest in preventive measures to protect vulnerable populations.
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Korede Abdullah 
Mirian Gom