Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
29 October 2008
Worldwide, Africa accounts for 9 out of every 10 child deaths due to malaria, for 9 out of every 10 child deaths due to HIV/AIDS, and for half of the world's child deaths due to diarrhoeal disease and pneumonia.
This is according to a new assessment of the Global Burden of Disease just published by World Health Organization (WHO). The study provides a comprehensive picture of the global and regional state of health.
The five causes of death in low-income countries are - pneumonia, heart disease, diarrhoea, HIV/Aids and stroke. in high-income countries the list is topped By heart disease, followed by 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 every region of the world. This is mainly due to higher levels of heart diseases and injuries, including those from violence and conflict. This difference is most pronounced in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle -East and the Eastern European region.
Depression is the leading cause of years lost due to disability, the burden being 50 percent higher for females than males. In both low- and high -income countries, the harmful use of alcohol is among the 10 leading causes of disability.
The production and dissemination of health information for action is one of WHO's core mandated activities. The study provides Member States with key health information for health decision-making, planning and priority setting.
"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.
"It enables policy makers and countries to identify the gaps and ensure that help and efforts are directed to those who are most in need. Countries can use the information to create strategies and cost-effective interventions aimed at improving health across the world."
The study contains information on causes of death in the different regions, the leading causes of death by age and sex, and the numbers of people with various diseases and disabilities.
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