Unhygienic food causes 16 fatalities this summer

BANGKOK, 16 May 2012 – The Public Health Ministry is set to eliminate sickness and fatalities caused by the consumption of unhygienic food, which is a growing cause of concern for the Thai society at present.



Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Sophon Mekthon and Department of Health Director-General Dr. Somyos Deerasamee launched a food and nutrition for health promotion project at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital in Ayutthaya province. The project aims to raise the people’s awareness for healthy food consumption, prevention of food-borne and water-borne diseases, as well as chronic diseases relating to the consumption of greasy, sweet and salty food.



Mr. Wittaya said that the Public Health Ministry is rushing to resolve the problem of sickness and fatalities from the consumption of unhygienic food or food which is cooked with excessive oil, sugar or salt. Two important food-borne and water-borne diseases include food poisoning and diarrhea.



During the last five months, there have been reports of over 520,000 cases of illness and 16 fatalities caused by food-borne and water-borne diseases. Meanwhile, non-contagious diseases resulting from the consumption of unhealthy food include obesity, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. Hypertension causes a daily fatality rate of 36 while diabetes causes around 7,000 deaths annually.

(NNT : Nu-dhorn Patimapragorn)

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