No matter where we are born, no matter our daily struggles, death will eventually be a part of our lives. While the thought terrifies most people, others have decided to enjoy their time on Earth. However, there are things we can do to live longer, and healthier. Experts have looked into the ten most common causes of death in the world.
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The world's biggest killer is heart disease
According to the World Health Organization, the top ten causes of death accounted for 55% of all deaths in 2019. They can be gathered into three groups: cardiovascular diseases, respiratory illness and neonatal conditions. The world's biggest killer is cardiovascular disease, such as heart attacks and strokes, which represents 33% of all deaths.
Then, we find chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, followed by respiratory infections, neonatal conditions and lung cancer. Neonatal conditions killed 2 million babies in 2019, though the numbers have been going down significantly since 2000. Finally, scientists list Alzheimer's and overall dementia, which mostly affects women, then diarrhoeal disease, diabetes and kidney diseases.
Income has an impact on causes of death
Sexually-transmittable diseases used to be on the list, but the numbers of people dying from HIV and AIDS have been going down since the early 2000s. They have fallen down by 51% in the last twenty years. They are now in nineteenth place.
It is important to note that causes of death vary between high and low income communities. Pulmonary disease-related deaths remain high in low income countries. WHO explains:
People living in a low-income country are far more likely to die of a communicable disease than a noncommunicable disease. Despite the global decline, six of the top 10 causes of death in low-income countries are communicable diseases.
Lower-middle income countries are facing an increased number of deaths due to diabetes, it has nearly doubled since the 2000s. In upper-middle income countries, lung cancer is one of the most common causes of death. In this category, there has been a 31% fall in deaths by suicide since the year 2000. So, why is it important to know why people die? WHO gives an answer:
It is important to know why people die to improve how people live. Measuring how many people die each year helps to assess the effectiveness of our health systems and direct resources to where they are needed most.
Read more:
⋙ Common causes of sudden death revealed, here's how you can prevent it
⋙ Forensic pathologist explains that your eyes remain viable for fifteen hours after death
⋙ The ‘death stare’: Nurse explains phenomenon that happens when a person is about to die
Sources used:
World Health Organization: The top 10 causes of death
Our World in Data: Causes of Death
