WHO Reports 33 Million Deaths from Leading Diseases in 2023
The World Health Organization (WHO) released its Top 10 Causes of Death fact sheet on October 2, 2026, based on the 2026 Global Health Estimates. In 2023, the leading causes of death were ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with noncommunicable diseases dominating the list.
The ten leading causes accounted for 33 million deaths, representing 54% of the 61 million total deaths recorded globally that year. Notably, HIV and AIDS dropped from the seventh leading cause of death in 2000 to 22nd in 2023, while preterm birth complications fell from eighth to 16th.
Diarrhoeal diseases caused approximately 1.5 million deaths, and kidney diseases accounted for about 1.6 million deaths, rising from the 17th to the ninth leading cause of death since 2000. Hypertensive heart disease claimed around 1.7 million lives in 2023, highlighting the significant impact of noncommunicable diseases on global mortality.
Plus234Feed summary based on reporting from Nairametrics. Read the original report below.
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