Data is disaggregated by hazard (all hazards; diarrhoeal disease agents; chemical and toxin hazards; helminths; invasive infectious disease agents) and age (all ages; less than 5 years of age; 5 years of age and over).
Method of measurement
Several data sources are used to measure each hazard in this metadata category, including systematic reviews complemented with other literature sources, surveillance data and expert inputs.
For more details consult the report WHO estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases: foodborne disease burden epidemiology reference group 2007-2015. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565165
Method of estimation:
Burden of disease estimation was approached using hazard-based and incidence-based methods. The hazard-based estimates encompassed all related sequelae specific to the hazard, and the incidence-based approach considered either current or past events to calculate Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and their Years Lived with Disability (YLD) component. Incidence-based methods were preferred for foodborne disease studies being more sensitive to current epidemiological trends, consistency with hazard-based approaches and estimation of Years of Life Lost (YLLs). Prevalence-based methods were used when incidence data was lacking, estimating incidence based on prevalence and disease duration.
Method of estimation of global and regional aggregates:
Probabilistic burden assessment. For each hazard, incidence, mortality, YLD, YLL and DALY rates were calculated for 11 age groups (<1; 1-4; 5-14; 15-24; 25-34; 35-44; 45-54; 55-64; 65-74; 75-84; >85) and sex. When necessary, age and sex specific rates were obtained by multiplying the overall rates with outcome specific age and sex distributions. The reference year for the calculation of absolute numbers using population estimates obtained from the 2012 revision of the United Nations World Population Prospects. Estimates were generated per country (unpublished), then aggregated per subregion, region, and globally.
Preferred data sources:
Etiology-specific incidence data from public health registries or other sources.
Medical care-seeking behaviour, testing and diagnostic practices from cross-sectional surveys of the target population.
Laboratory testing and reporting practices from national or regional health laboratories and registries, scientific studies and reports, or through direct contact with relevant national experts.
Unit of Measure:
Number of years lived with disability per case
Expected frequency of data dissemination:
Following the Seventy-third World Health Assembly resolution on “Strengthening efforts on food safety” (WHA73.5), WHO will provide updated estimates to the GHO that include regional and global level estimates of foodborne disease incidence, mortality and disease burden in terms of DALYs. In addition, national level estimates will be made available for the first time. Data collection is ongoing for these new estimates and is expected to be completed in 2025.
• Uncertainties in data and burden estimates, particularly in low-income countries where data availability is limited.
• Wide uncertainty intervals for most hazards, hindering reliable estimates at the country level.
• Challenges in disentangling proportions of diseases transmitted by food, water, and the environment, especially in low-income countries.
• Inability to include all relevant disease outcomes due to limited resources, potentially underestimating the burden of foodborne diseases.
• Exclusion of certain chemicals and disease outcomes, such as functional bowel disorders, affecting the comprehensiveness of burden estimates.
• The use of DALYs may not fully capture the societal impact of foodborne diseases, including economic burdens and other health effects beyond those considered in the study.
• The study does not address other mechanisms of human disease transmission through food production, such as zoonotic disease agents spread through animal husbandry.
Despite these limitations, the study provides valuable insights into the global burden of foodborne diseases and highlights the need for a sustainable, multi-sectoral response to reduce the burden of foodborne diseases globally.
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