WHO: Heart deseases, HIV/AIDS and Cancer remain top global killers

WHO officials have reported that cardiovascular events, infectious diseases and cancer continue to remain the world's top three killers.  According to the new Global Burden of Disease publication, while pneumonia, diarrhea and HIV/AIDS are the leading causes of death in underprivileged countries, heart disease is responsible for the majority of deaths in rich nations.
The report suggests that in every region of the world 15- to 60-year-old men are at a greater risk of death; this difference is most pronounced in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the Eastern European region.   It adds that the high incidence of heart disease and injuries are the main reasons contributing to the high mortality rate in this age group.   Officials also believe depression is the main cause of disability, saying that the condition mainly affects women.   The number of deaths due to HIV and AIDS is expected to peak in 2012 with an estimated 2.4 million individuals dying of causes secondary to the condition. Officials, however, believe the rate will decline after a few years.  PKH/HGH