Global mortality rates tracked over 30 years
Mortality rates for heart disease and stroke, along with stomach and cervical cancers, have declined worldwide over the last 30 years, according to a recent report published in Health Affairs. However, during that same time frame, there were increases in death rates due to diabetes and liver cancer, as well as from chronic respiratory disease and from lung cancer in women.
“We found an interesting mix of increasing and decreasing death rates due to non-communicable diseases across various countries,” explains lead author Mohammed K. Ali, associate professor in global health and epidemiology. “We believe that these differing patterns reflect differences in countries’ stages of development and health care systems. However, the story is still incomplete because raw cause-of-death data from China, India, and sub-Saharan Africa were not adequate enough to be included in our study. This compels us to continue to strive for better surveillance and cause-of-death documentation.”
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