Background
WHO launched the Initiative to Estimate the Global Burden of Foodborne Diseases in 2006, which led to the formation of the Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG) in 2007, and the work culminated in 2015 with the publication of the WHO Estimates of the Global Burden of Foodborne Diseases. It was identified that in 2010, foodborne diseases caused 600 million illnesses, 420 000 deaths, and 33 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). The report not only provided the first global estimates on the burden of foodborne diseases, but also provided guidance to improve country capacity to conduct their own assessments.
Following to the adoption of the resolution (WHA73.5) in 2021 which requests WHO to monitor regularly the global burden of foodborne and zoonotic diseases at national, regional, and international levels, and in particular to prepare by 2025 a new report with updated estimates, WHO reconvened the FERG 2021-2024 in 2021 to establish a process towards this primary aim.
The FERG 2021-2024 is also mandated to advise WHO on the development of and the methodology to monitor food safety indicators, and to assist WHO to conduct its country support activities in the area of national estimation of foodborne disease burden.
This first meeting was held virtually on 5, 8, 12, 14 and 15 July 2021 among the new members of the FERG 2021-2024 with an overall aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the background activities, mandate, process and structure, and methodological requirements of the work ahead.
Specific objectives of the meeting were to:
- Situate FERG’s work in the context of related WHO work in food safety
- Outline objectives of the FERG 2; agree on the short- and long-term objectives of the FERG within and beyond 2024, and
- Establish a process to develop a workplan.