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Posted on May 21, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
Non-communicable diseases are likely to account for more deaths by 2030 than infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.
Non-communicable diseases are likely to account for more deaths by 2030 than infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.
A new report from the World Health Organization has forecast that deaths from cancer will increase significantly, from 7.4 million in 2004 to 11.8 million in 2008, while the number of deaths from heart disease will rise from 17.1 million to 23.4 million in the same period.
Increased access to cars and other road transport is also likely to push up mortality rates as a result of traffic accidents, the report said, with this figure forecast to grow from 1.3 million to 2.4 million in the same period.
Meanwhile, death rates for diseases like tuberculosis, HIV and Aids and malaria will decline, the WHO said. While deaths from HIV and Aids will rise 0.2 million to 2.4 million by 2012, they are forecast to fall back to 1.2 million by 2030.
"We tend to associate developing countries with infectious diseases, such as HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria," said the organization's director of health statistics Dr Ties Boerma.
"But in more and more countries the chief causes of death are non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and stroke."
The report identified ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory conditions and traffic accidents to be the top five causes of death in 2030.
