The Global Epidemiology of Noncommunicable Diseases

The results of the Global Burden of Disease Study show that over 50 per cent of all deaths worldwide are from non-communicable diseases, and that deaths from these have been projected to rise from 55 per cent in 1990 to 73 per cent in the year 2020.

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Over 50 per cent of all deaths worldwide are from noncommunicable diseases. The results of the Global Burden of Disease Study dispel the notions that these non-communicable diseases are related to affluence. In all developing regions, except for India and Sub-Saharan Africa, non-communicable diseases are responsible for more deaths than infectious diseases. Deaths from non-communicable diseases have been projected to climb from 28.1 million deaths in 1990 to 49.7 million in 2020, increasing as a proportion of all deaths from 55 per cent in 1990 to 73 per cent in 2020.