WHO: Non-Communicable Diseases Big Killers

Chronic conditions such as heart disease and stroke are the chief causes of death globally, a study by World Health Organization in Geneva reported.

The report, issued Friday, shows a trend indicating leading infectious diseases — diarrhea, HIV, tuberculosis, neonatal infections and malaria — will become less important causes of death worldwide during the next 20 years, the WHO said in a news release.

World Health Statistics 2008 is based on data collected from WHO’s 193 members.

We are definitely seeing a trend towards fewer people dying of infectious diseases across the world, said Ties Boerma, WHO Department of Health Statistics and Informatics director. We tend to associate developing countries with infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. But in more and more countries, the chief causes of death are non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and stroke.

The report also documented of mortality rates in children and adults, patterns of morbidity, prevalence of risk factors such as smoking and drinking alcohol, and the use and availability of healthcare services, workers and financing.