The first-ever WHO estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases were published in 2015, resulting from the WHO initiative to estimate the burden of foodborne diseases and prepared by the WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) 2007-2015. These estimates, which were based on 2010 data, are still the most up-to-date estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases at sub-regional, regional and global level.
The Seventy-third World Health Assembly adopted a resolution, “Strengthening efforts on food safety” (WHA73.5) in July 2020. Based on the new mandate that the WHO received with this new resolution, on high interests from scientific communities, and on WHO’s vision to show measurable impact in countries, the WHO plans to update the global burden of foodborne diseases. For this purpose, the WHO is reactivating the expert group that will be tasked with providing WHO with technical advice in these subjects.
A Call for Experts was launched on 1st September 2020. If you have experience in burden of disease studies of foodborne diseases, infectious diseases, or any other diseases either at sub-national, national, regional or global level, click here to take a look at the other requirements and aim of the call. The WHO encourages experts from around the globe to apply. The deadline for application is 31st October 2020.
Information on what is currently known on the global burden of foodborne disease can be found at:
