Burden of Foodborne Illness Attributable to Meat Products in Urban Households of Lagos State

Quantifying the burden of foodborne illness attributable to meat products is essential for prioritizing food safety investments, yet such data are rarely available for Nigerian urban settings. This study estimated the burden of foodborne illness attributable to meat product consumption in urban households of Lagos State, South West Nigeria. A combination of primary and secondary data sources was used. A representative household survey of 500 urban households was conducted to document self-reported foodborne illness events, dietary meat consumption patterns, and healthcare-seeking behavior in the previous 30 days. Secondary data on meat safety microbiological analyses from the Lagos State Food Safety Monitoring Unit were incorporated into a stochastic exposure assessment model. Disability-adjusted life years were calculated using age and severity weighting based on WHO global burden of disease methodology. An estimated 38.7% of surveyed households reported at least one episode of gastrointestinal illness in the reference period, of which 29.4% was attributable to meat products using exposure modelling. Roasted chicken and beef suya were the highest-risk products. Annual disability-adjusted life years attributable to meat-associated illness in Lagos urban households were estimated at 4.2 per 100,000 population. Children under five and elderly individuals were disproportionately affected. The study concludes that meat-associated foodborne illness constitutes a substantial but quantifiable burden in Lagos and that targeted interventions at suya and roasted chicken vending points would generate the greatest public health return. Keywords: foodborne illness, disease burden, meat products, Lagos State, disability-adjusted life years