Estimates for the burden and costs of foodborne diarrhoeal illness in Indonesia

Abstract

Estimates for the burden (number of cases) and cost of diarrhoeal foodborne illness (FBI) per year in Indonesia were calculated. Distinct data sources and models (derived from the World Health Organisation, and Indonesian sources) were used to cross-validate results from each analysis. For all cases, estimates of the burdens and costs of the foodborne illnesses were broadly of the same magnitude. Total annual estimates of diarrhoeal FBI cases in Indonesia ranged from 10,189,312 to 22,476,423, with costs estimated as $4,763,051,067–16,752,046,500 USD. Estimates concur with similar studies in other countries that indicate the huge burden and cost of foodborne illness worldwide, emphasising the need for appropriate countermeasures to reduce this burden.