WHO reveals leading causes of death and disability worldwide: 2000-2019

Noncommunicable diseases now make up 7 of the world’s 10 largest causes of death, according to the WHO World Health Estimates for 2019 released today. That’s an increase from 4 out of 10 leading causes in 2000. The new data cover the period from 2000 to 2019 inclusive.

Estimates reveal trends in mortality and morbidity caused by disease and injury over the past 2 decades. They clearly emphasize the need for a strengthened global focus on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as injury management, in all regions of the world, as set out on the UN Sustainable Development Goals agenda.

“These new assessments are another reminder that we need to rapidly step up the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “They emphasize the urgency of drastically improving primary health care in a fair and comprehensive way. Strong primary health care is clearly the foundation on which everything rests, from the fight against non-communicable diseases to the management of a global pandemic. ”

Heart disease is still the number 1 killer; diabetes and dementia enter the top 10

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death globally for the past 20 years. However, it is now killing more people than ever before. The number of deaths from heart disease has increased by more than 2 million since 2000, to almost 9 million in 2019. Heart disease now accounts for 16% of all deaths from all causes. More than half of the 2 million additional deaths were in the WHO West Pacific region. In contrast, the European region recorded a relative decline in heart disease, with mortality falling by 15% [1].

Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are now among the top 10 causes of death in the world, ranking 3rd in America and Europe in 2019. Women are disproportionately affected: globally, 65% of deaths from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are women.

Mortality from diabetes increased by 70% globally between 2000 and 2019, and the increase in mortality among men by 80%. In the Eastern Mediterranean, diabetes mortality has more than doubled and represents the largest percentage increase in all WHO regions.

Global decline in communicable disease mortality, but still a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries

In 2019, pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections were the most deadly group of infectious diseases and together ranked the fourth leading cause of death. However, compared to 2000, lower respiratory tract infections have taken fewer lives than in the past, and the global death toll has dropped by almost half a million.

This decrease is in line with the general global decline in the percentage of deaths caused by infectious diseases. For example, HIV / AIDS has fallen from the eighth largest cause of death in 2000 to 19th since 2019, reflecting the success of efforts to prevent infection, test for the virus, and treat disease over the past two decades. Although still the fourth leading cause of death in Africa, the number of deaths has dropped by more than half, from over 1 million in 2000 to 435,000 in 2019 in Africa.

Tuberculosis is also no longer among the top 10 in the world, falling from seventh place in 2000 to thirteenth in 2019, with a 30% reduction in global deaths. However, it still remains among the 10 biggest causes of death in the African and Southeast Asian regions, where it is the eighth and fifth cause of death, respectively. Africa has seen an increase in tuberculosis mortality since 2000, although this has started to decline in recent years.

New estimates also highlight the tax that communicable diseases still have in low-income countries: 6 of the top ten causes of death in low-income countries remain infectious diseases, including malaria (6th), tuberculosis (8th) and HIV / AIDS (9.). Meanwhile, in recent years, WHO reports have highlighted generally everything about slowing down or removing progress against infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

People live longer – but with greater disabilities

Estimates further confirm the growing trend of longevity: in 2019, people lived more than 6 years longer than in 2000, with a global average of more than 73 years in 2019 compared to almost 67 years in 2000. But on average, only 5 of that have lived in good health for additional years.

Indeed, disability is on the rise. To a large extent, the diseases and health conditions that cause the most deaths are those that are responsible for the largest number of lost healthy life years. Heart disease, diabetes, stroke, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are collectively responsible for nearly 100 million additional healthy life years lost in 2019 compared to 2000.

Injuries are another major cause of disability and death: the African region has seen a significant increase in road traffic injuries since 2000, with an almost 50% increase in mortality and lost healthy life years. Similar but slightly smaller increases (about 40%) were observed for the eastern Mediterranean region. Globally, the mortality from road traffic injuries is 75% of men.

In America, drug use has emerged as a significant factor in both disability and death. In the United States, between 2000 and 2019, there was an almost threefold increase in mortality from drug use disorders. This region is also the only one for which drug use disorder is the 10 largest contributors to a healthy life expectancy lost due to premature death and disability, while in all other regions drug use is not among the top 25.

Data sources and methodology

WHO World Health Assessments provide comprehensive, comparable, and transparent time series data for population health, including life expectancy, healthy life expectancy, mortality and morbidity, and the burden of disease globally, regionally, and nationally disaggregated by age, gender, and cause. , from 2000 onwards.

“These estimates are based on data from the best available sources from countries and the international community,” said Dr. Bochen Cao, WHO’s World Health Assessment Technical Manager. “They are based on robust scientific methods for processing, synthesizing and analyzing data. These updated assessments also benefited from valuable contributions from WHO Member States through active consultation and dialogue on countries. “

The availability of services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease is key to reducing death and disability, influencing where different conditions rank. These new estimates clearly show where additional investment in services is most needed.

“Robust health data is crucial for addressing inequalities, prioritizing policies, and allocating resources to prevent disability and save lives,” adds Dr. Samira Asma, Assistant Director General for Data, Analytics and Deliveries for Impact at WHO. “WHO Global Health Assessments are a powerful tool for maximizing health and economic impact. We call on governments and stakeholders to urgently invest in data and health information systems to support timely and effective decision-making. ”

As of today, COVID-19 has tragically claimed more than 1.5 million lives. People living with pre-existing health conditions (such as heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory conditions) are at greater risk of complications and death from COVID-19.

Health authorities around the world depend on timely, reliable and effective data to make informed decisions – this is especially true during a global pandemic. The next update of these estimates will include an assessment of the direct and indirect impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality and morbidity.