WHO: Heart disease, cancer, diabetes top global causes of death
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death globally, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data. Non-communicable diseases have significantly increased as causes of mortality between 2000 and 2019.
Heart disease continued to be the leading cause of death worldwide in 2019, accounting for nearly 9 million deaths, according to the World Health Organization's (WHO) latest Global Health Estimates. This represents an increase of over 2 million deaths since 2000, with heart conditions now making up 16% of all deaths.
The report, covering 2000-2019, highlights a significant shift with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) becoming more prevalent causes of mortality. In 2000, NCDs accounted for four of the top 10 causes of death, whereas by 2019, they represented seven of the top 10.
Alzheimer's disease and other dementias have climbed into the top three global causes of death in the Americas and Europe. Globally, deaths from diabetes rose by 70% between 2000 and 2019, with the Eastern Mediterranean region seeing a more than doubling of diabetes-related fatalities.
While lower respiratory infections remain a significant cause of death, ranking fourth, the global number of deaths from these infections has decreased by nearly half a million since 2000. Deaths from HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis have also seen substantial reductions, though they continue to pose major health challenges in low- and middle-income countries.