You may already know about the Top 10 Leading Causes of Death in the World. But, in Asia, individuals need to be aware of a range of leading causes of death. Death is inevitable, and we may never be able to avoid it. Still, awareness of the leading causes of death in Asian countries can reduce mortality and save numerous lives.
With all that, the World’s #1 Source of Research-Based Content, The Daily Top 10, will share with you the Top 10 Leading Causes of Death in Asia.
What is the #1 Leading Cause of Death in Asia?
Understanding the leading causes of death in Asia is one of the key components to ensuring the health and well-being of our society. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the majority of issues that cause death to Asian people are non-communicable diseases.
Accordingly, before we get ahead of ourselves and identify the #1 leading cause of death in Asian countries, we must first explain the other causes from reliable health sources. May this help provide a deeper understanding of how each factor contributes to the fatality rate. So, let’s start!
TOP 10: Suicide
Death by suicide is an extremely complex issue that causes pain to hundreds of thousands of people every year in Asia. Every suicide is a tragedy. According to Our World Data, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Burden of Disease study estimate that almost 800,000 people die from suicide every year in the world, and that’s one person every 40 seconds.
Based on Research Gate statistics, the reported suicide rates in South Asia are high compared to the global average, and poisoning and hanging were consistently the most common methods of committing suicide on the Asian continent.
TOP 9: Road Accidents
With death tolls higher than COVID-19 fatalities, Southeast Asian roads are some of the most dangerous in the world, according to OECD. Across much of Southeast Asia, road traffic accidents are among the leading causes of deaths and injuries. As World Life Expectancy stated, Thailand and Vietnam are the most perilous countries in the region, with a death rate of 30.48 and 29.81 people per 100,000.
Next on the list are Malaysia (22.76 per 100,000), Myanmar (20.3), North Korea (22.21), and Cambodia (21.90). By comparison, every 2 Singaporeans per 100,000 die on average from road accidents.
TOP 8: Diabetes
The last three decades have witnessed an epidemic rise in the number of people who die from diabetes, especially Type 2 Diabetes, and particularly in Asian countries, where more than 80% of the people with diabetes live. The rise of Type 2 Diabetes in South Asia is estimated to be more than 150% between 2000 and 2035, according to Diabetes Journals.
Although aging, urbanization, and associated lifestyle changes are the major determinants for the rapid increase, an adverse intrauterine environment and the resulting epigenetic changes could also contribute to many countries. More than 60% of the people with diabetes live in Asia, with almost one-half in China and India combined. So, this scenario poses huge social and economic problems to most nations in the region and could impede national and global development.
TOP 7: Kidney Diseases
Kidney Disease, a growing public health problem worldwide, is on the rise with particular ferocity across Asia, ramping up the need for pharmaceuticals, dialysis treatments, cutting-edge kidney technologies, and drugs, according to MedTech Intelligence.
Based on research done by BMJ Global Health, we can conclude up to an estimated 434.3 million adults have CKD in Asia, including up to 65.6 million who have advanced CKD. The greatest number of adults living with CKD were in China(159.8 million) and India (up to 140.2 million), collectively having 69.1% of the total number of adults with CKD in the region.
TOP 6: Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world, and Asia has some of the world’s highest rates of drug-resistant TB. According to a study done by USAID, delayed diagnosis, weak laboratory services, health care, high-risk comorbidities, and the challenges of drug-resistant TB cause millions of people across Asia to suffer and die from the disease each year.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), half of the world’s TB patients are found in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and South Africa. The Global Tuberculosis Report released in 2021 by the WHO also described India as one of the countries recording the highest drop in TB case reports from 2019 to 2020.
TOP 5: Diarrhoeal Diseases
Diarrhea is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It is the world’s second leading cause of death in children under 5 years old and is responsible for killing around 525 000 children every year, according to the estimates WHO.
Diarrhea, up till now, is still a major problem in Asia with high morbidity and mortality, particularly among children under 5 years of age, with the peak in children between 6 – 24 months. Malnutrition and the decline of breastfeeding play an important role in causing high morbidity, besides socio-economic, socio-cultural, and poor environmental sanitation.
TOP 4: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD is one of the major preventable chronic respiratory diseases. The Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) defined COPD as a common preventable and treatable disease characterized by persistent airflow limitation that is typically progressive and related to an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways and the lung to noxious particles or gases, as mentioned in Systematic Reviews Journal.
In addition, it is a global health concern and is a major cause of chronic morbidity and mortality worldwide. According to NCBI, the burden of COPD in Asia is currently greater than that in developed Western countries, both in terms of the total number of deaths and the burden of disease, as measured in years of life lost and years spent living with a disability.
TOP 3: Pneumonia
Globally, Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of death in young children, and the burden of the disease is disproportionately high in the Asian Region of WHO. According to NCBI, Pneumonia is an infection of the tiny air sacs of the lungs called alveoli. In a person with pneumonia, the alveoli are filled with pus and fluid, making breathing painful and reducing oxygen intake. Pneumonia is caused by several different infectious agents, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
TOP 2: Cancer
Cancer is a major global public health problem and one of Asia’s leading causes of death. The continent has a large population and therefore has a significant proportion of the global burden of cancer.
According to NCBI, the cancer incidence in Asia was 169.1 per 1 00 000, accounting for 49.3% of the global cancer incidence. The most common cancers included lung (13.8%), breast (10.8%), and colorectal (10.6%) cancers. Its mortality was 101.6 per 1 00 000 (58.3% of the global cancer death), with lung (19.2%), liver (10.5%), and stomach (9.9%) cancers being the most common causes of cancer death.
TOP 1: Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs)
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) are the #1 leading cause of death in Asia and are one of the many causes of death worldwide. The number of people dying from cardiovascular disease in Asia is increasing rapidly, with over half of all CVD deaths globally occurring, according to research done by ACC. So, the data demonstrate an urgent need to understand the burdens and epidemiological features of CVD in Asian countries to develop localized CVD prevention strategies to combat the epidemic.
What are the Leading Causes of Death in Asia?
These conditions are responsible for the majority of deaths in Asia, and they are all preventable or treatable with proper medical care. Unfortunately, access to healthcare is not always available in many parts of Asia, making it difficult to prevent or treat these conditions. Governments, health organizations, and individuals need to work together to reduce the mortality rate from these leading causes of death in Asia.
For your attention and quick reference, here is the list of the Top 10 Leading Causes of Death in Asia:
- Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs)
- Cancer
- Pneumonia
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Diarrhoeal Diseases
- Tuberculosis
- Kidney Diseases
- Diabetes
- Road Accidents
- Suicide
Death is the end of all living things and a part of nature that we cannot avoid. But we can work together to reduce the leading causes of death and increase the average lifespan of those living in Asia. May this article be helpful for you to take a big idea and rethink your health as well as your family’s health.
If you want to know more about your health, you can read more from our research-based Fitness, Health, and Sports content. Also, make sure to subscribe to The Daily Top 10 Newsletter!
Author: Jera A.
Jera A. is an empowered woman, a dedicated student leader, and an academic commissioner. She recently focused on exploring more of her skills while also learning new things to help herself blossom. She believes that anyone, from anywhere, can make a difference.
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