WHO’s Global Burden of Disease on 27 October highlights some worrying global health statistics:
Around 10 million children under five still die each year.
Lung cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer.
Pregnancy complications account for 15 percent of deaths in women of reproductive age.
Mental disorders such as depression are among the 20 leading causes of disability.
Depression affects around 120 million people.
Road traffic injuries are projected to rise from the ninth leading cause of death globally in 2004, to the fifth in 2030. More than 3,500 people die in road traffic crashes every day and millions are injured or disabled for life.
Under-nutrition is the underlying cause of death for at least 30 percent of all children under five. Almost 20 million children worldwide are severely malnourished.
HIV/AIDS is still the leading cause of adult death in Africa.
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