Killers of humanity: WHO named the main causes of death in the world over the past 20 years

The World Health Organization (WHO) has conducted a large-scale study on the causes of death in the world. The most common causes were non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. The WHO noted that early diagnosis of these diseases can reduce the number of deaths. Writes about it with the BBC.

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If in 2000, in the top ten reasons why people died, there were only four diseases that were not transmitted by contact, then in 2019 there were already seven of them.

“This study is another reminder that we urgently need to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “It also highlights how important it is to radically improve primary health care, which is clearly at the heart of everything from tackling non-communicable diseases to dealing with a global pandemic.”

WHO also concludes that, compared to 2000, the average life expectancy in the world has increased by 6 years: now it is more than 73 years, and 20 years ago it was about 67. However, only five of these additional years of life are spent remaining healthy.

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The study is based on data collected before the COVID-19 pandemic and does not reflect how the spread of the infectious disease has affected the overall trends in recent years.

The main causes of death in the world over the past two decades (as of 2019):

1. Coronary heart disease
2. Stroke
3. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
4. Lower respiratory tract infection (infectious disease)
5. Neonatal diseases (infectious disease)
6. Cancers of the trachea, bronchi and lungs
7. Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia
8. Diarrhea (an infectious disease)
9. Diabetes
10. Kidney Diseases

Number one killer

Coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the world, accounting for 16% of all deaths worldwide. Moreover, over the past 20 years, the number of deaths from this disease has increased by more than 2 million to almost 9 million per year.

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Neonatal diseases rank fifth on the WHO list worldwide, but remain the leading cause of death in low-income countries. However, as the organization notes, in recent years, mortality at birth has decreased sharply: in 2019, 2 million newborn babies died, that is, 1,2 million less than in 2000.

Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia are also among the top ten diseases of mankind. And in Europe and the United States, these diseases were in third place. WHO experts emphasize that women suffer more from such diseases: they account for 65% of deaths.

Over the past two decades, mortality from diabetes has increased by 70%, primarily in men. The strongest growth was in the Middle East.

Infectious diseases

WHO data show that the world has become much better at coping with infectious diseases in recent years than it was in 2000. Diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV / AIDS are no longer among the world's top XNUMX causes of death, although they remain a serious threat to life in African, Asian and other low-income countries.

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Infectious diseases were included in the list of the most dangerous diseases, there were diseases of the lower respiratory tract. They were in fourth place in mortality in the world. 2,6 million people died of pneumonia and other respiratory diseases, but this number was 460 thousand lower than in 2000.

The WHO statement also notes that its next report "will contain estimates of the direct and indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality and morbidity."

Among other serious causes of death in the world for 2000-2019, WHO notes road traffic accidents, especially in Africa and the Middle East. 75% of road accident victims are men, the report says.

The authors of the report also pay special attention to the number of Americans dying from drugs. This is the only region in the world in which this cause of death was in the top ten.

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