Federal government warns over 80% of foodborne disease burden falls on children under five, pledges stronger food safety systems

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, on Monday in Abuja disclosed that unsafe food is responsible for more than 53,000 deaths and nearly 50 million cases of illness every year across Nigeria. He made this revelation during a ministerial press briefing to mark the 2026 World Food Safety Day with the theme: “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere.”

Dr Salako described the food safety challenge as a critical issue for national development and health security, noting that the consequences go beyond immediate sickness and death to include loss of human capital, especially among children. According to him, Nigeria loses an estimated 4.26 million years of healthy life annually due to foodborne illnesses, disability and premature death. “Nigeria records nearly 50 million foodborne illnesses every year, and unsafe food causes more than 53,000 deaths annually in our country,” the minister said.

He stressed that children under five years account for more than 80 per cent of the country’s foodborne disease burden. “Most of this burden falls heavily on children under five, who account for more than 80 per cent of all foodborne disease burden in Nigeria. The true cost of unsafe food in Nigeria is not only measured in sickness and death but also in the lost cognitive, physical and developmental potential of our children,” Salako added.

The Minister referenced new World Health Organisation data showing that unsafe food leads to about 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths globally each year, with Africa carrying the highest per-capita burden. He noted that diarrhoeal diseases remain the leading cause of foodborne illnesses in Nigeria, with over 40 million cases annually linked to pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Shigella and rotavirus. “Over 40 million diarrhoeal illnesses in Nigeria are linked to foodborne pathogens. These infections continue to be a major cause of hospitalisation, malnutrition and mortality among our youngest citizens,” he explained.

Dr Salako further warned about increasing exposure to chemical contaminants like lead found in grains, spices and water sources. He said these chemical hazards contribute significantly to healthy life lost among Nigerians. Despite these challenges, Salako pointed out that government has made progress towards building a stronger national food safety system. He called for urgent action from all stakeholders across the entire value chain to address these threats and protect public health.

Source: https://punchng.com/53000-dead-50m-sick-yearly-from-unsafe-food-fg/