Global Mortality Rates Show Uneven Progress, Especially Among Adolescents and Young Adults

Strategic Insights -

Global mortality rates continue to fall, with life expectancy improving to unprecedented levels and deaths in young children plummeting. However, the latest Global Burden of Disease study reveals that little progress has been made in the past decade for adolescents and young adults, with mortality rates actually rising in parts of North America and eastern Europe. The study, which analyzed over 310,000 data sources collected between 1950 and 2023 from 204 countries, found that the main causes of death among young people are preventable, including injury, violence, suicide, road traffic accidents, and substance abuse.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Global Burden of Disease study found that for children, especially in low and middle-income countries, vaccines, improved sanitation, and better nutrition have saved millions of lives.
  • In east Asia, mortality in under-fives fell by 68% between 2011 and 2023.
  • For older adults, the global mortality rate declined by 67% between 1950 and 2023, thanks to better screening, medication, and chronic disease management.
  • Cardiovascular disease and other non-communicable diseases (such as cancer and diabetes) account for nearly two-thirds of all deaths worldwide.
  • For young people aged 15-24, the main causes of death were primarily preventable ones, including injury, violence, suicide, road traffic accidents, and substance abuse.
  • In North America, deaths among people aged 20 to 39 rose by as much as 50% in the past decade, largely due to suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol-related harms.
  • The study also highlighted stark inequalities in mortality risk for youth from marginalized, low-income, or Indigenous groups.
  • More than 80% of countries lacked nationally representative data across key health domains, including mental health and child health.

Statistics:

  • Mortality in under-fives fell by 68% between 2011 and 2023 in east Asia.
  • The global mortality rate declined by 67% between 1950 and 2023.
  • Cardiovascular disease and other non-communicable diseases account for nearly two-thirds of all deaths worldwide.
  • Deaths among people aged 20 to 39 rose by as much as 50% in the past decade in North America.
  • More than 80% of countries lack nationally representative data across key health domains.

Sources:

  • "Rise in youth mortality fuelled by mental illness, drugs, violence and other preventable causes" by Manuel Corpas, The Conversation -- UK, (no date listed)

Note: The original article was published on The Conversation -- UK and the publication date was not specified.