WHO: Chronic Diseases Now Responsible for Three-Quarters of Global Deaths
By Fact Harbour News
The global health landscape is undergoing a major transformation, with chronic diseases now responsible for nearly three out of every four deaths worldwide, according to the latest estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The organisation’s Global Health Estimates for 2023 show that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for 74 per cent of deaths globally, compared with 58 per cent in 2000. The figures cover changes in health, mortality and disease burden across countries and regions between 2000 and 2023.
NCDs include conditions such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and dementia. Unlike many infectious illnesses, these conditions often require long-term prevention, monitoring and treatment, placing sustained demands on individuals and healthcare systems.
The latest figures also show that people around the world are once again living almost as long as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Global life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023, compared with 73.4 years in 2019.
However, the recovery in healthy life expectancy has been slower. WHO estimated healthy life expectancy at 62.8 years in 2023, which remained 0.4 years below the 2019 level. The distinction means that recovering overall life expectancy does not necessarily mean that people are spending the same proportion of their lives free from illness or disability.
Heart and circulatory diseases continue to dominate the global mortality picture. Ischaemic heart disease was the leading individual cause of death in 2023, claiming approximately 9.5 million lives and accounting for about 210 million disability-adjusted life years.
Disability-adjusted life years, commonly referred to as DALYs, combine years lost because of premature death with years lived with illness or disability. The measure is used to provide a broader picture of the impact diseases have on populations.
Stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were also among the world’s leading causes of death. Overall, eight of the 10 leading causes of death in 2023 were NCDs. Together, those eight conditions accounted for 47 per cent of all deaths worldwide.
Dementia has also become increasingly prominent in global mortality statistics. WHO reported that Alzheimer disease and other dementias moved from being the 19th leading cause of death in 2000 to the fifth in 2023. Deaths associated with dementia tripled over the period.
Diabetes is another condition contributing to the changing disease burden. WHO reported that the risk of dying from diabetes has increased substantially since 2000, with particularly significant concerns recorded in South-East Asia.
The changing pattern is not limited to physical illnesses. Mental health conditions are also contributing significantly to the amount of healthy life lost globally.
Between 2019 and 2023, the global age-standardised rate of disability-adjusted life years associated with depressive disorders increased by approximately 20 per cent, while the corresponding rate for anxiety disorders rose by nearly 45 per cent.
Together, depression and anxiety accounted for an estimated 110 million years of healthy life lost through premature death and disability in 2023.
WHO’s findings also indicate that the transition towards NCD-dominated mortality is no longer confined to wealthier countries. In 2023, communicable diseases accounted for less than half of all deaths in low-income countries for the first time, reflecting a broader change in the global pattern of disease.
At the same time, infectious diseases have not disappeared as a major health concern. Lower respiratory infections remained the leading communicable cause of death in 2023, ranking fourth among all causes of death globally.
The latest WHO data also show that COVID-19 dropped out of the world’s 10 leading causes of death in 2023 for the first time since the pandemic began.
The organisation said the changing statistics provide governments with information that can be used to determine where health resources and services are most needed.
WHO’s Director of Data, Digital Health, Analytics and AI, Dr Alain Labrique, said the increase in life expectancy represents an important public health achievement, but added that the next challenge is ensuring that people can spend those additional years in good health.
The figures therefore point to a changing set of priorities for health systems. While vaccination, infectious disease control and pandemic preparedness remain important, countries must increasingly address conditions that require long-term care and prevention.
For individuals, public health experts generally emphasise measures such as appropriate medical check-ups, healthy diets, physical activity, avoidance of tobacco and responsible alcohol use as part of efforts to reduce the risk of several chronic diseases. Individual health decisions, however, should take account of personal circumstances and professional medical advice.
For governments, the WHO estimates reinforce the importance of accessible primary healthcare, early diagnosis, reliable health data, affordable treatment and adequate support for people living with chronic conditions.
The figures also underline the importance of mental health services as countries respond to changing patterns of illness.
WHO’s Global Health Estimates cover more than 160 diseases and injuries and are designed to help countries monitor changes in mortality and disease burden over time. The organisation cautions that the latest estimates incorporate changes in data and methodology, meaning comparisons with some earlier WHO estimates should be made carefully.
Overall, the latest findings present a global population that is living longer but facing a different health challenge. The central task is increasingly shifting from simply extending lifespan to helping people remain healthy and productive for as many of those years as possible.
