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22 June 2005
What is the deadliest disease in the world?
Q: What is the deadliest disease in the world?
A: The results of ranking the leading causes of death are subject to the cause categories used. The broader the cause categories used, the more likely they will rank among the top leading causes of death.
According to the estimates in The world health report 2004, there were 57 million deaths in the world in 2002. The broad category of all "noncommunicable diseases" killed 33.5 million people; communicable diseases, maternal and perinatal conditions, and nutritional conditions killed 18.3 million people worldwide; and external causes of injuries killed 5.2 million people.
When analysing at disaggregated level, the following are the leading causes of death:
|
No.
|
Cause
|
Estimated number of deaths (in millions)
|
Percent of all deaths
|
|
1
|
Ischaemic heart disease
|
7.2
|
12.6
|
|
2
|
Cerebrovascular disease
|
5.5
|
9.7
|
|
3
|
Lower respiratory infections
|
3.9
|
6.8
|
|
4
|
HIV/AIDS
|
2.8
|
4.9
|
|
5
|
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
|
2.7
|
4.8
|
|
6
|
Perinatal conditions
|
2.5
|
4.3
|
|
7
|
Diarrhoeal diseases
|
1.8
|
3.2
|
|
8
|
Tuberculosis
|
1.6
|
2.7
|
|
9
|
Malaria
|
1.3
|
2.2
|
|
10
|
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers
|
1.2
|
2.2
|
|
11
|
Road traffic accidents
|
1.2
|
2.1
|
|
12
|
Diabetes mellitus
|
1
|
1.7
|
Source: The world health report 2004
This year's world health report, "Make every mother and child count", reports that 11 million children under five years of age will die from causes that are largely preventable. Among them are 4 million babies who will not survive their first month of life. On top of that, 3.3 million babies will be stillborn and half a million women will die in pregnancy, childbirth or soon after.
Related links
The world health report 2004 statistical annex
The world health report 2005
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