Big killer

In public health, a big killer is a disease or other major cause of loss of human life.
 * For big killers of the past, see pandemics.

For an alternative list, see List of causes of death by rate

World Health Organization deaths
2002

By disease, conditions

 * 1) Ischaemic heart disease  7,208,000; 13%
 * 2) Cerebrovascular disease 5,509,000; 10%
 * 3) Lower respiratory tract infection 3,884,000; 7%
 * 4) HIV/AIDS 2,777,000; 5%
 * 5) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 2,748,000; 5%
 * 6) Perinatal conditions (low birthweight, birth asphyxia, birth trauma) 2,462,000; 4%
 * 7) Diarrhoeal diseases 1,798,000; 3%
 * 8) Tuberculosis 1,566,000; 3%
 * 9) Malaria 1,272,000; 2%
 * 10) Trachea/bronchus/lung cancers 1,243,000; 2%
 * 11) Road traffic accidents 1,192,000; 2%
 * 12) Childhood diseases (pertussis, polio, diphtheria, measles, tetanus) 1,124,000; 2%
 * 13) Diabetes mellitus 988,000; 2%
 * 14) Other unintentional injuries (besides road traffic accidents, poisoning, falls, fires, drowning) 923,000; 2%
 * 15) Hypertensive heart disease 911,000; 2%
 * 16) Self-inflicted injuries (suicide) 873,000; 2%
 * 17) Stomach cancer 850,000; 2%
 * 18) Cirrhosis of the liver 786,000; 1%
 * 19) Nephritis/nephrosis 677,000; 1%
 * 20) Colon/rectal cancer 622,000; 1%
 * 21) Liver cancer 618,000; 1%
 * 22) Violence 559,000; 1%
 * 23) Breast cancer 477,000; 1%
 * 24) Esophageal cancer 446,000; 1%
 * 25) Inflammatory heart disease 404,000; 1%
 * 26) Alzheimer and other dementias 397,000; 1%
 * 27) Falls 392,000; 1%

By category

 * 1) Cardiovascular diseases:  16 733 000 27%
 * 2) Infectious and parasitic diseases:  10 904 000 19%
 * 3) Malignant neoplasms: 7,121,000 13%
 * 4) Respiratory infections: 3,963,000 7%
 * 5) Respiratory diseases: 3,702,000 7%
 * 6) Unintentional injuries: 3,551,000 6%
 * 7) Perinatal conditions: 2,462,000 4%
 * 8) Digestive diseases: 1,968,000 4%
 * 9) Intentional injuries: 1,618,000 3%
 * 10) Neuropsychiatric disorders: 1,112,000 2%
 * 11) Diabetes mellitus: 988,000 2%
 * 12) Diseases of the genitourinary system: 848,000 2%
 * 13) Maternal conditions: 510,000 1%
 * 14) Congenital abnormalities: 493,000 1%
 * 15) Nutritional deficiencies: 485,000 1%
 * 16) Nutritional/endocrine disorders: 485,000 1%

Source: The World Health Report - 2004 Annex Table 2 Deaths - World Health Organization