Causes of death in richer and poorer countries
I just came across this set of figures in Wikipedia (‘List of causes of death by rate’) which show very clearly the contrast between poorer and richer countries in terms of the major causes of death. I have starred those causes which appear on both lists.
Top causes of death, according to the World Health Organization report for the calendar year 2001:
| Causes of death in developing countries | Number of deaths | Causes of death in developed countries | Number of deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| HIV-AIDS | 2,678,000 | Ischaemic heart disease * | 3,512,000 |
| Lower respiratory infections * | 2,643,000 | Cerebrovascular disease * | 3,346,000 |
| Ischaemic heart disease * | 2,484,000 | Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease * | 1,829,000 |
| Diarrhea | 1,793,000 | Lower respiratory infections * | 1,180,000 |
| Cerebrovascular disease * | 1,381,000 | Lung cancer | 938,000 |
| Childhood diseases | 1,217,000 | Car crash | 669,000 |
| Malaria | 1,103,000 | Stomach cancer | 657,000 |
| Tuberculosis * | 1,021,000 | Hypertensive heart disease | 635,000 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease * | 748,000 | Tuberculosis * | 571,000 |
| Measles | 674,000 | Suicide | 499,000 |
Peter Smith 