World Health Organization Study Offers Data on the State of Global Health
by Astrid Fiano, DOTmed News Writer | November 04, 2008
Emergency relief is
just one WHO function
just one WHO function
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a new assessment that presents the global burden of disease, including a comprehensive picture of the global and regional state of health. The study uses extensive data gathered through the WHO and features comparisons between deaths, diseases and injuries by region, age, sex and country income for the year 2004. The study also provides projections of deaths and burden of disease by cause and region to the year 2030.
The study details the top ten causes of death worldwide and estimates for over 130 disease and injury causes. The significant findings include:
- Compared worldwide, Africa accounts for nine out of every 10 child deaths due to malaria, for nine out of every 10 child deaths due to AIDS, and for half of the world's child deaths due to diarrheal disease and pneumonia.
- The top five causes of death in low-income countries are: pneumonia, heart disease, diarrhea, HIV/AIDS and stroke. In high-income countries, the leading cause of death is heart disease and then stroke, lung cancer, pneumonia, and asthma/bronchitis.
- Men between the ages of 15 and 60 years have much higher risks of dying than women in the same age category in all regions of the world. This phenomena is primarily due to injuries (such as in violence and conflict) and to higher levels of heart diseases. The gender disparity is most pronounced in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the eastern European regions.
- Depression is the leading cause of years lost due to disability, the burden being 50% higher for females than males. In both low- and middle-income countries, and high-income countries, alcohol dependence is a factor in the ten leading causes of disability.
The production and dissemination of health information for action is one of WHO's core mandated activities. "It is vital that we have a global and regional picture of deaths, disease and disability," says Colin Mathers, Coordinator for Epidemiology and Burden of Disease at WHO and lead author of the study. "This study enables policy-makers and countries to identify the gaps and ensure that help and efforts are directed to those who are most in need. The countries can use the information to create strategies and cost-effective interventions aimed at improving health across the world."
The study also contains information on how many people become ill each year and the causes of loss of health and the actual loss of years of good health: these are measured in "disability-adjusted life years" (DALYs). One DALY is equivalent to the loss of one year of full health.
Adapted from a press release by the World Health Organization.
The study details the top ten causes of death worldwide and estimates for over 130 disease and injury causes. The significant findings include:
- Compared worldwide, Africa accounts for nine out of every 10 child deaths due to malaria, for nine out of every 10 child deaths due to AIDS, and for half of the world's child deaths due to diarrheal disease and pneumonia.
- The top five causes of death in low-income countries are: pneumonia, heart disease, diarrhea, HIV/AIDS and stroke. In high-income countries, the leading cause of death is heart disease and then stroke, lung cancer, pneumonia, and asthma/bronchitis.
- Men between the ages of 15 and 60 years have much higher risks of dying than women in the same age category in all regions of the world. This phenomena is primarily due to injuries (such as in violence and conflict) and to higher levels of heart diseases. The gender disparity is most pronounced in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the eastern European regions.
- Depression is the leading cause of years lost due to disability, the burden being 50% higher for females than males. In both low- and middle-income countries, and high-income countries, alcohol dependence is a factor in the ten leading causes of disability.
The production and dissemination of health information for action is one of WHO's core mandated activities. "It is vital that we have a global and regional picture of deaths, disease and disability," says Colin Mathers, Coordinator for Epidemiology and Burden of Disease at WHO and lead author of the study. "This study enables policy-makers and countries to identify the gaps and ensure that help and efforts are directed to those who are most in need. The countries can use the information to create strategies and cost-effective interventions aimed at improving health across the world."
The study also contains information on how many people become ill each year and the causes of loss of health and the actual loss of years of good health: these are measured in "disability-adjusted life years" (DALYs). One DALY is equivalent to the loss of one year of full health.
Adapted from a press release by the World Health Organization.
