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Food-borne diseases cost  $110 billion in low-income countries, says World Bank

By Cornelius Essen, Abuja
25 October 2018   |   4:09 am
The World Bank has said that impacts of unsafe foods cost low and middle-income economies about $110 billion in lost productivity and medical expenses annually.

PHOTO: blackeconomics

The World Bank has said that impacts of unsafe foods cost low and middle-income economies about $110 billion in lost productivity and medical expenses annually. It also stated that this was relative to their populations, especially in South Asia, Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan African countries that bear proportionately higher burdens.

A statement yesterday in Abuja by Communications Officer, Olufunke Olufon, explained that managing the safety of foods would contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

It, therefore, regretted that a large proportion of these expenses could be avoided by adopting preventive measures that could improve on how food is handled from the farm to the table.

“Food-borne diseases caused an estimated 600 million illnesses and 420,000 premature deaths in 2010 according to World Health Organisation.”

The statement further said that this global burden of food-borne diseases is unequally distributed, and accounts for 41% of the global population.

Juergen Voegele, Senior Director of the Food and Agriculture Global Practice at the World Bank said food safety receives relatively little policy attention and is under-resourced.

“By focusing on domestic food safety more deliberately, countries can strengthen the competitiveness of their farmers and food industry and develop human capital,” he added.

“After all, safe food is essential to fuel a healthy, educated and resilient workforce. Action is normally reactive — to major food-borne disease outbreaks or trade interruptions — rather than preventative.”

“Equally, unsafe foods threaten young children the most, that is, children under five make up only 9% of the world’s population. They account for almost 40% of it and 30% of related deaths.”

According to it, the government should pay attention to statistics by translating them into greater investments, better regulatory frameworks and measures that promote change.

The total productivity loss associated with the burden is estimated to cost $95.2 billion per year, and the annual cost of treating food-borne ailments is estimated at $15 billion.

Other costs include losses of farm and company sales, foregone trade incomes, the health repercussions of consumers, avoidance of perishable yet nutrient-rich foods, and the environmental burden of food waste.

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