WHO estimates of the global, regional, and national disease burden of nine foodborne chemicals, 2000-21: an updated data synthesis - PubMed
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- WHO updated estimates of the global burden of nine foodborne chemicals from 2000-2021, covering aflatoxins B1 and M1, inorganic arsenic, lead, methylmercury, cadmium, dioxin, peanut allergy, and cassava cyanide.
- In 2021, these chemicals caused an estimated 6.26 million cases, 1.12 million deaths, and 29.8 million DALYs globally, with inorganic arsenic and lead contributing the most to deaths (88.9%) and DALYs (76.5%).
- The South-East Asia region had the highest DALY rate (789 per 100,000 people), largely due to inorganic arsenic and lead, while the Americas had the highest rate in children under 5 (749 per 100,000), mainly from methylmercury-related intellectual disability.
- DALY rates from dioxin showed the steepest decline from 2000 to 2021, indicating progress in reducing its impact.
- The findings highlight the substantial global disease burden from dietary chemical exposure, emphasizing the need for integrated non-communicable disease prevention and subnational assessments to ensure equity.