Contaminated food carrying bacteria, viruses, chemicals and other harmful elements causes 866 million illnesses and 1.5 million deaths per year, a World Health Organization study warned on Thursday.

The research, published in The Lancet Global Health, found that children under five suffer a third of all cases, including diarrheal diseases that can be fatal at that age.

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The study calculated the cost of contaminated food related diseases through lost productivity, which can reach $310,000 annually or soar to $647 billion when adjusted for differences in living costs between countries.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said unsafe food has always been a major public health concern, but until now the world lacked a global view of its enormous human and economic cost.

The UN health agency stressed that many deaths could be prevented through water sanitation, hygiene improvements, food safety practices such as pasteurization, and greater access to healthcare for vulnerable populations. The WHO urged governments to prevent chemical contamination through better agricultural practices, stricter industrial controls and stronger environmental regulations.

Dangerous chemicals accounted for 73% of deaths caused by contaminated food. Many of those deaths were linked to inorganic arsenic (42%) and lead (31%), which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

By region, Africa and Southeast Asia are the most affected, accounting for three quarters of foodborne illnesses and 60% of global deaths.

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