Sri Lanka, June 4 -- Unsafe food causes an estimated 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths worldwide every year, with young children bearing a disproportionate share of the burden, according to new estimates released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The global health body said children under the age of five are nearly three times more likely to fall ill from unsafe food than older children and adults. Although they account for just 9 per cent of the world's population, young children suffer almost one-third of all foodborne disease cases, particularly diarrhoeal illnesses, which can be fatal for this vulnerable age group.

The WHO noted that exposure to chemical contaminants in food, including methylmercury and lead, can al...