The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified ischaemic heart disease and stroke as the leading causes of death globally in 2023, accounting for more than 16 million deaths combined.

The global health agency disclosed this in its latest report on the leading causes of death worldwide, noting that cardiovascular diseases continue to account for a significant proportion of global mortality.

According to the report, ischaemic heart disease, a condition caused by narrowed or blocked arteries that restrict blood and oxygen supply to the heart, claimed approximately 9.5 million lives in 2023, representing 16 per cent of all deaths globally.

Stroke ranked second, accounting for about 6.8 million deaths, or 11 per cent of global mortality, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was the third leading cause, responsible for approximately 3.6 million deaths.

Lower respiratory infections ranked fourth, with 2.7 million deaths, followed by Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, which accounted for about 2.1 million deaths.

The WHO reported that eight of the 10 leading causes of death in 2023 were non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which accounted for 74 per cent of all deaths worldwide, compared with 58 per cent in 2000.

Other conditions on the list included diabetes mellitus, cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lung, hypertensive heart disease, kidney diseases and diarrhoeal diseases.

The report stated that the 10 leading causes of death collectively accounted for approximately 33 million deaths, representing 54 per cent of the 61 million deaths recorded worldwide in 2023.

Despite progress in reducing deaths from some conditions, the WHO noted that cardiovascular diseases remained the leading cause of death and disease burden globally.

“There has been substantial progress in reducing the burden of ischaemic heart disease since 2000 in many parts of the world,” the report said.

However, it highlighted increasing individual-level risks in the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions, pointing to persistent inequalities in cardiovascular health among populations.The agency also reported that global life expectancy recovered to 73.3 years in 2023, approaching the 73.4 years recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.WHO’s Top 10 Leading Causes of Death Globally1. Ischaemic heart disease2. Stroke3.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)4. Lower respiratory infections5. Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias6. Diabetes mellitus7. Trachea, bronchus and lung cancers8. Hypertensive heart disease9. Kidney diseases10. Diarrhoeal diseases