The news is filled daily with stories about how deadly Ebola, breast cancer and HIV/AIDS but even as pronounced as this diseases are only HIV/AIDS makes the list of the 10 deadliest diseases and it is even number six and not the deadliest of all. Most of the deadliest diseases in the world, are at least partially preventable.
Factors like where a person lives, quality of healthcare and access to preventive care, add to their risk factor. Below are the top 10 deadliest diseases in the world at the moment.
TUBERCULOSIS: This is a lung condition which is caused by a bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. This disease is highly deadly and is an airborne disease that is successfully treated in most cases. Though according to the WHO about 900,000 people lost their lives to tuberculosis in the year 2012 alone.
PRETERM BIRTH COMPLICATIONS: This lead to over 1.1 million deaths in the year 2012. Three quarters of these deaths happen within the first week of life. The inadequacy of skilled medical care in developing makes this a huge problem.
DIABETES: Am sure you must have heard about this disease in one way or the other but you won’t have expected that about 1.5 million people die from this disease yearly. Diabetes which is a group of diseases that affect the insulin production and use in the body. People who are more likely to die from diabetes related complications are those in low to middle income countries.
DIARRHEA: This is the second top killer disease of children under age five leading to the painful deaths of about 760,000 children yearly. Diarrhea occurs when you pass three or more loose stools a day and when this lasts more than a few days, your body loses too much water and salt leading to death due to dehydration.
HIV/AIDS: HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system and can cause AIDS on the long run which is a chronic, life-threatening condition. Since the start of this pandemic, almost 39 million people have lost their lives and about 1.5 million people die yearly due to this disease. HIV is more rampant in sub-Saharan Africa.
TRACHEA, BRONCHUS, AND LUNG CANCERS: This are all respiratory cancers which is mainly caused by excessive smoking, second hand smoke, and environmental toxins. The WHO estimates that about 1.6 million people die from this cancer yearly.
LOWER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS: The WHO estimated that this disease caused about 3.1 million deaths in the year 2012 alone. This group of respiratory diseases includes pneumonia, influenza and bronchitis.
CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE: This is a chronic, progressive lung disease that makes it hard to breathe for the patient. About 3.1 million deaths were attributed to this disease in 2012 alone according to WHO. The main cause of this disease is tobacco though other factors may include air pollution. There’s no cure for COPD currently though it can be managed through proper medication.
STROKE: A stroke is occurs when an artery in the brain is blocked then the brain cells which is Oxygen deprived begin to die within minutes. This disease was responsible for about 6.7 million deaths around the world in 2012. The risk factors for stroke are similar to those for CAD to prevent them in general, a good health habits is best to lower your risks.
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE (CAD): This is the deadliest disease in the world and it occurs when the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart become narrowed. It is bad estimated by the World Health Organization that about 7.4 million people die of this disease yearly. The risk factors of this disease includes high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. A healthy livelihood like regular exercise, good nutrition, and weight control can help reduce your risk of developing this disease.