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Heart disease, which has remained the leading cause of death globally for the past 20 years, is now killing more people than ever, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO said diabetes and dementia are also among the world’s top 10 causes of death. The WHO’s 2019 global health estimates, released Wednesday, said noncommunicable diseases now account for 7 of the world’s top 10 causes of death, an increase from 4 of the top 10 causes in 2000. The new data covers the period from 2000 to 2019.
“Heart disease has remained the leading cause of death worldwide for the past 20 years. However, it is now killing more people than ever, ”the organization said.
Heart disease now accounts for 16 percent of all deaths from all causes, and the number of deaths from heart disease increased by more than two million from 2000 to almost 9 million in 2019. Diabetes and dementia are among the 10 main causes of death.
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are now among the top 10 causes of death worldwide, ranking third in both the Americas and Europe in 2019. Women are disproportionately affected – globally , 65% of deaths from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are women.
Deaths from diabetes increased by 70% globally between 2000 and 2019, with an 80% increase in deaths among men. In the eastern Mediterranean, deaths from diabetes have more than doubled and represent the highest percentage increase of all WHO regions.
The WHO said the estimates reveal trends over the past two decades in mortality and morbidity caused by disease and injury, clearly highlighting the need for an intensified global approach to prevent and treat cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory disease. chronic injuries, as well as addressing injuries, in all regions of the world, as set out in the agenda for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
“These new estimates are another reminder that we need to rapidly accelerate the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of noncommunicable diseases,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “They highlight the urgency to dramatically improve primary health care in an equitable and holistic way. Strong primary health care is clearly the foundation on which everything from fighting noncommunicable diseases to managing a global pandemic rests. ” While there are now more noncommunicable diseases causing deaths worldwide, there has been a global decline in deaths from communicable diseases, which nonetheless remain a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries.
In 2019, pneumonia and other lower respiratory infections were the deadliest group of communicable diseases, and collectively ranked as the fourth leading cause of death. However, compared to 2000, lower respiratory infections were claiming fewer lives than in the past, and the global number of deaths fell by almost half a million, the WHO said, adding that this reduction is in line with a overall global decrease in percentage of deaths. caused by communicable diseases. HIV / AIDS rose from the eighth leading cause of death in 2000 to the 19th leading cause of death in 2019, reflecting the success of efforts to prevent infection, test for the virus, and treat the disease over the past two decades. While it remains the fourth leading cause of death in Africa, the number of deaths has more than halved, from more than 1 million in 2000 to 435,000 in 2019 in Africa.
The WHO said tuberculosis is no longer in the global top 10, falling from seventh in 2000 to 13 in 2019, with a 30% reduction in global deaths. However, it remains among the top ten leading causes of death in the Africa and Southeast Asia regions, where it is the eighth and fifth leading cause, respectively.
The new estimates also emphasize the toll that communicable diseases still cause in low-income countries: 6 of the 10 leading causes of death in low-income countries remain communicable diseases, including malaria (6th), tuberculosis (8th). ) and HIV / AIDS. (9th). Meanwhile, in recent years, WHO reports highlight a worrying general slowdown or stagnation in progress against infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
The new projections indicate that people are living longer, but with more disabilities. Estimates further confirm the increasing trend in longevity: In 2019, people were living more than 6 years longer than in 2000, with a global average of more than 73 years in 2019 compared to almost 67 in 2000. But on average, only 5 of those additional years were lived in good health.
However, disability is on the rise. “By far, the diseases and health conditions that are causing the most deaths are responsible for the most years of healthy life lost. Heart disease, diabetes, stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were collectively responsible for nearly 100 million additional healthy life years lost in 2019 compared to 2000, “said WHO. Injuries are another major cause of disability and death, and the African region has seen a significant increase in road traffic injuries since 2000. Globally, road traffic fatalities are 75% male. The Assistant Director-General of WHO’s Division for Data, Analysis and Impact Delivery, Dr. Samira Asma, said that robust health data is critical to addressing inequalities, prioritizing policies and allocating resources to prevent disability and save lives.
“We call on governments and stakeholders to urgently invest in health data and information systems to support timely and effective decision-making,” said Asma.
(This story was posted from a cable agency feed with no text changes. Only the title was changed.)
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