Chronic Diseases Top Causes Of Deaths Globally-WHO
Chronic conditions such as heart disease and stroke (slagtilfælde), often associated with a Western lifestyle, have become the chief causes of death globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
The shift from infectious (smittende) diseases including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria – traditionally the biggest killers – to non communicable diseases is set to continue to 2030, the UN agency said in a report.
The annual report, World Health Statistics 2008, is based on data collected from the WHOs 193 member states.
By 2030, deaths due to cancer, cardiovascular diseases (hjertekarsygdomme) and traffic accidents will together account for about 30 percent of all deaths, it said.
Tobacco use is the single largest cause of preventable death worldwide, killing “a third to a half of all those who use it”, according to the WHO. More than 80 percent of the 8,3 million tobacco-attributable deaths projected to occur in 2030 will be in developing countries, it says.
The statistical report documents in detail the levels of mortality in children and adults, patterns of morbidity and burden of disease, prevalence of risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, use of health care, availability of health care workers, and health care financing.
It also draws attention to important issues in global health, including maternal mortality, life expectancy trends in Eastern Europe and health-care costs.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
