The issue of foodborne diseases affecting health in Southeast Asia is one of the highest in the world based on the recent findings of the World Health Organization.
Such burden points to improper food handling in many regions of the world, despite strict food safety regulation implementation in nations. The United States, for example, still experience foodborne disease outbreaks- the recent nationwide Chipotle restaurant E.coli and norovirus outbreak controversy proves the inevitable.
According to the study, 10 percent of the world's population gets sick from contaminated food annually, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and SouthEast Asia where food borne diseases cases are severe.
WHO reports reveal the first estimates of the death, disease and disability around the world caused by some 31 bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals which are found in food borne diseases. Majority of these illnesses are caused by pathogens like E. coli, and chemical toxins like dioxin or aflatoxin.
Based on the study, the most common foodborne illness that has been a recurring burden to numerous regions worldwide is diarrhea caused by norovirus. Noroviruses are viruses that cause inflammation of the stomach and large intestine lining, otherwise known as gastroenteritis.
Dr. Felicia Wu, food scientist at Michigan State University said that if all of the illness suffered and the time lost from foodborne illnesses are added up together, it's an annual loss of 33 million years of healthy life. They have estimated over 420,000 lives lost due to food borne diseases and one-third of all cases were found in children.
Why is this crisis happening? Dr. Craig Hedberg of the University of Minnesota said that some countries may have not realise how food borne diseases may become a very big problem at hand.
"This report [by WHO] may provide that spark that says these are real problems, and we really need to address what's going on," Dr. Hedberg said.
