A new paper in The Lancet Global Health concludes that 'Foodborne diseases causes a burden similar to that from tuberculosis, HIV and AIDS, or malaria. The high burden of both communicable and non-communicable foodborne diseases requires countries to prioritise developing strategies to improve the safety of the food supply'.
CITATION: Lake R, Devleesschauwer B, Majowicz S et al.
WHO estimates of the global, regional, and national burden of 42 foodborne infectious and chemical hazards, 2000–21: an updated data synthesis
The Lancet Global Health, 2026; 14
COMMENT: Required measures are many but include food hygiene among those who store, prepare and cook food.
A 2023 systematic review finds: 'Inadequate knowledge, negative attitudes, and poor sanitation practices of street food vendors toward food safety can cause significant public health problems for consumers... Inadequate knowledge of street food vendors is one of the major public health risk factors for the causes of FBD [35]. Therefore, to improve their knowledge and understanding of street food vendors, it is better to take appropriate intervention and provide educational programmes.' Similar issues relate to restaurateurs.
Desye B, Tesfaye AH, Daba C, Berihun G
(2023) Food safety knowledge, attitude, and practice of street food vendors and associated factors in low-and middle-income countries: A Systematic review and Meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 18(7): e0287996. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0287996
Every day, millions of people in low- and middle-income countries rely on street food vendors and small restaurants, yet these food providers often lack access to the reliable information, training, and infrastructure they need to ensure safe food handling. Evidence shows that while many vendors understand basic hygiene, deeper knowledge of microbial risks, temperature control, and contamination pathways is frequently missing — not because of negligence, but because the system fails to equip them. HIFA calls for coordinated action to strengthen communication, training, and regulatory support so that every food provider has the knowledge and resources to keep communities safe. No one should be put at risk simply because the people preparing their food were never given the information they need.
A topic for a future HIFA Spotlight? www.hifa.org/spotlights
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org