Global burden of disease estimation is a comprehensive regional and global research program that assesses mortality and disability from major diseases, injuries, and risk factors across the entire globe and by region. The initiative began in 1990, but did not include foodborne disease until 2015 because of the difficulty of attributing illnesses to food exposure routes.
In 2015 the World Health Organization (WHO) released the 1st global burden of foodborne disease estimates.The work showed 31 hazards, both pathogenic and chemical, responsible for 600 million illnesses, 420,000 deaths, with a Disability- Adjusted Life Year (DALY) burden comparable to that of TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria, or air pollution.
The 2015 estimates changed the way the world thought about foodborne illness. The estimates highlighted the importance of food safety in reaching food security goals. Foodborne diarrhea destroys immediate nutritional benefits from food. Chronic diarrhea can affect the guts ability to absorb nutrients. Foodborne infectious illnesses and chemical exposures can also have serious long term health impacts, including cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney impairment, and impacts on cognitive function. Per Dr. Sandy Hoffmann (see our spotlight) one government official from a lower middle income country (LMIC) commented that they had always thought of foodborne illnesses as a few days of mild diarrhea, but then they saw the death numbers and realized it matters.
On June 4, 2026, WHO released the 2d set of Global Burden of Foodborne Disease Estimates. This round expanded coverage to 42 pathogenic and chemical hazards. This expanded coverage shows foodborne hazards cause 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths around the world annually. Estimates for the original 31 hazards in the 2015 estimates show a decline in illnesses, deaths and DALY burden, which is positive. However, children and LMIC continue to be disproportionately impacted by foodborne disease. The 2026 estimates also find foodborne disease causes $300 billion in productivity loss with LMIC seeing the greatest percentage loss. .
WHO hopes to make the global burden of foodborne disease estimates a regular part of their statistical output. It also encourages individual countries to look to building capacity to develop their own estimates now or in the future.