FAQs - What are the top causes of death in South Africa?


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What are the top causes of death in South Africa?

The top twenty single underlying causes of death in South Africa are shown in Tables 1 and 2 and Figure 1 below from the Revised Burden of Disease estimates for the Comparative Risk Factor Assessment for South Africa, 2000 (pdf format 259 kb). The tables show the ranking for persons, males and females while in the figure these are ranked by the persons total. The largest single cause of death is HIV/AIDS accounting for 132990 (25.5%) deaths. This is at least five times greater than the next largest single cause of death. Ischaemic heart disease and stroke follow with about 6.5% of the deaths and tuberculosis and interpersonal violence are next in the ranking, each accounting for about 5.5% of deaths. Males have higher proportions of deaths due to homicide/violence, tuberculosis and road traffic accidents than females. Females have higher proportions of deaths due to HIV/AIDS, stroke, hypertensive heart diseases and diabetes mellitus. These estimates do differ from those of the Initial Burden of Disease estimates for South Africa, 2000 (pdf format 457 kb) which are shown in comparable Tables 3 and 4 and Figure 2. The main differences arise from revising the estimates to reflect the deaths in the calendar year of 2000 and not from the middle of 2000 to the middle of 2001, as well as revising down the estimate of injury deaths as a result of more recent empirical data. Despite the differences, the overall profile remains that of a quadruple burden which is dominated by HIV/AIDS but also has the conditions associated with under-development, chronic diseases and injuries.

Table 1: Numbers of deaths by cause for persons, males and females, South Africa 2000 -Revised

Persons			Males			Females
Rank	Cause of death	Deaths	Rank	Cause of death	Deaths	Rank	Cause of death	Deaths
1	HIV/AIDS	132990	1	HIV/AIDS	64418	1	HIV/AIDS	68572
2	Ischaemic heart disease	34402	2	Interpersonal violence	23041	2	Stroke	20353
3	Stroke	33866	3	Tuberculosis	18721	3	Ischaemic heart disease	16666
4	Tuberculosis	28907	4	Ischaemic heart disease	17736	4	Hypertensive disease	11433
5	Interpersonal violence	27563	5	Stroke	13513	5	Lower respiratory infections	11367
6	Lower respiratory infections	22910	6	Lower respiratory infections	11543	6	Tuberculosis	10186
7	Hypertensive disease	16648	7	Road traffic accidents	11207	7	Diabetes mellitus	8748
8	Diarrhoeal diseases	16006	8	Diarrhoeal diseases	8012	8	Diarrhoeal diseases	7994
9	Road traffic accidents	15993	9	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	7862	9	Low birth weight	5326
10	Diabetes mellitus	13546	10	Low birth weight	6270	10	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	4905
11	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	12768	11	Hypertensive disease	5214	11	Road traffic accidents	4785
12	Low birth weight	11597	12	Diabetes mellitus	4798	12	Interpersonal violence	4521
13	Asthma	7006	13	Trachea/ bronchi/ lung cancer	4669	13	Cervix cancer	3498
14	Trachea/ bronchi/ lung cancer	6885	14	Suicide	4194	14	Asthma	3468
15	Nephritis/nephrosis	6760	15	Oesophageal cancer	3566	15	Nephritis/ nephrosis	3461
16	Septicaemia	6234	16	Asthma	3538	16	Septicaemia	3316
17	Oesophageal cancer	5579	17	Cirrhosis of liver	3399	17	Breast cancer	3156
18	Protein-energy malnutrition	5499	18	Nephritis/ nephrosis	3299	18	Inflammatory heart disease	2783
19	Suicide	5461	19	Protein-energy malnutrition	2989	19	Protein-energy malnutrition	2510
20	Cirrhosis of liver	5442	20	Septicaemia	2919	20	Trachea/ bronchi/ lung cancer	2510
	All causes	521082		All causes	274084		All causes	246998

Table 2: Percentage of deaths by cause for persons, males and females, South Africa, 2000 - Revised

Persons			Males			Females
Rank	Cause of death	%	Rank	Cause of death	%	Rank	Cause of death	%
1	HIV/AIDS	25.5	1	HIV/AIDS	23.5	1	HIV/AIDS	27.8
2	Ischaemic heart disease	6.6	2	Interpersonal violence	8.4	2	Stroke	8.2
3	Stroke	6.5	3	Tuberculosis	6.8	3	Ischaemic heart disease	6.7
4	Tuberculosis	5.5	4	Ischaemic heart disease	6.5	4	Hypertensive disease	4.6
5	Interpersonal violence	5.3	5	Stroke	4.9	5	Lower respiratory infections	4.6
6	Lower respiratory infections	4.4	6	Lower respiratory infections	4.2	6	Tuberculosis	4.1
7	Hypertensive disease	3.2	7	Road traffic accidents	4.1	7	Diabetes mellitus	3.5
8	Diarrhoeal diseases	3.1	8	Diarrhoeal diseases	2.9	8	Diarrhoeal diseases	3.2
9	Road traffic accidents	3.1	9	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	2.9	9	Low birth weight	2.2
10	Diabetes mellitus	2.6	10	Low birth weight	2.3	10	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	2.0
11	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	2.5	11	Hypertensive disease	1.9	11	Road traffic accidents	1.9
12	Low birth weight	2.2	12	Diabetes mellitus	1.8	12	Interpersonal violence	1.8
13	Asthma	1.3	13	Trachea/ bronchi/ lung cancer	1.7	13	Cervix cancer	1.4
14	Trachea/ bronchi/ lung cancer	1.3	14	Suicide	1.5	14	Asthma	1.4
15	Nephritis/nephrosis	1.3	15	Oesophageal cancer	1.3	15	Nephritis/ nephrosis	1.4
16	Septicaemia	1.2	16	Asthma	1.3	16	Septicaemia	1.3
17	Oesophageal cancer	1.1	17	Cirrhosis of liver	1.2	17	Breast cancer	1.3
18	Protein-energy malnutrition	1.1	18	Nephritis/ nephrosis	1.2	18	Inflammatory heart disease	1.1
19	Suicide	1.0	19	Protein-energy malnutrition	1.1	19	Protein-energy malnutrition	1.0
20	Cirrhosis of liver	1.0	20	Septicaemia	1.1	20	Trachea/ bronchi/ lung cancer	1.0
	All causes	100		All causes	100		All causes	100

Figure 1 Leading causes of mortality, South Africa 2000 - Revised

Leading causes of mortality, South Africa 2000

Table 3: Numbers of deaths by cause for persons, males and females, South Africa 2000 (Initial Burden of Disease Study)

Persons			Males			Females
Rank	Cause of death	Deaths	Rank	Cause of death	Deaths	Rank	Cause of death	Deaths
1	HIV/AIDS	165859	1	HIV/AIDS	80089	1	HIV/AIDS	85770
2	Ischaemic heart disease	32919	2	Homicide/ violence	27134	2	Stroke	18184
3	Homicide/ violence	32485	3	Tuberculosis	19806	3	Ischaemic heart disease	14539
4	Stroke	32114	4	Ischaemic heart disease	18380	4	Lower respiratory infections	10430
5	Tuberculosis	29553	5	Stroke	13930	5	Tuberculosis	9748
6	Lower respiratory infections	22097	6	Road traffic accidents	13076	6	Hypertensive heart disease	9458
7	Road traffic accidents	18446	7	Lower respiratory infections	11667	7	Diabetes mellitus	8081
8	Diarrhoeal diseases	15910	8	Diarrhoeal diseases	8150	8	Diarrhoeal diseases	7761
9	Hypertensive heart disease	14233	9	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	8102	9	Low birth weight	5427
10	Diabetes mellitus	13157	10	Low birth weight	6449	10	Road traffic accidents	5370
11	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	12473	11	Trachea/bronchi/ lung cancer	5085	11	Homicide/ violence	5351
12	Low birth weight	11876	12	Diabetes mellitus	5076	12	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	4372
13	Nephritis/nephrosis	7225	13	Suicide	4866	13	Nephritis/ nephrosis	3505
14	Trachea/bronchi/ lung cancer	7173	14	Hypertensive heart disease	4774	14	Cervix cancer	3424
15	Asthma	6987	15	Oesophageal cancer	3886	15	Asthma	3227
16	Suicide	6370	16	Asthma	3760	16	Septicaemia	3057
17	Septicaemia	6047	17	Nephritis/ nephrosis	3720	17	Breast cancer	3009
18	Oesophageal cancer	5803	18	Cirrhosis of liver	3704	18	Inflammatory heart disease	2559
19	Cirrhosis of liver	5672	19	Protein-energy malnutrition	3039	19	Protein-energy malnutrition	2471
20	Protein-energy malnutrition	5511	20	Septicaemia	2990	20	Trachea/bronchi/ lung cancer	2088
	All causes	556585		All causes	303081		All causes	253504

Table42: Percentage of deaths by cause for persons, males and females, South Africa, 2000 (Initial Burden of Disease Study)

Persons			Males			Females
Rank	Cause of death	%	Rank	Cause of death	%	Rank	Cause of death	%
1	HIV/AIDS	29.8	1	HIV/AIDS	26.4	1	HIV/AIDS	33.8
2	Ischaemic heart disease	5.9	2	Homicide/ violence	9.0	2	Stroke	7.2
3	Homicide/ violence	5.8	3	Tuberculosis	6.5	3	Ischaemic heart disease	5.7
4	Stroke	5.8	4	Ischaemic heart disease	6.1	4	Lower respiratory infections	4.1
5	Tuberculosis	5.3	5	Stroke	4.6	5	Tuberculosis	3.8
6	Lower respiratory infections	4.0	6	Road traffic accidents	4.3	6	Hypertensive heart disease	3.7
7	Road traffic accidents	3.3	7	Lower respiratory infections	3.8	7	Diabetes mellitus	3.2
8	Diarrhoeal diseases	2.9	8	Diarrhoeal diseases	2.7	8	Diarrhoeal diseases	3.1
9	Hypertensive heart disease	2.6	9	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	2.7	9	Low birth weight	2.1
10	Diabetes mellitus	2.4	10	Low birth weight	2.1	10	Road traffic accidents	2.1
11	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	2.2	11	Trachea/bronchi/ lung cancer	1.7	11	Homicide/ violence	2.1
12	Low birth weight	2.1	12	Diabetes mellitus	1.7	12	Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease	1.7
13	Nephritis/ nephrosis	1.3	13	Suicide	1.6	13	Nephritis/ nephrosis	1.4
14	Trachea/bronchi/ lung cancer	1.3	14	Hypertensive heart disease	1.6	14	Cervix cancer	1.4
15	Asthma	1.3	15	Oesophageal cancer	1.3	15	Asthma	1.3
16	Suicide	1.1	16	Asthma	1.2	16	Septicaemia	1.2
17	Septicaemia	1.1	17	Nephritis/ nephrosis	1.2	17	Breast cancer	1.2
18	Oesophageal cancer	1.0	18	Cirrhosis of liver	1.2	18	Inflammatory heart disease	1.0
19	Cirrhosis of liver	1.0	19	Protein-energy malnutrition	1.0	19	Protein-energy malnutrition	1.0
20	Protein-energy malnutrition	1.0	20	Septicaemia	1.0	20	Trachea/bronchi/ lung cancer	0.8
	All causes	100		All causes	100		All causes	100

Figure 2 Leading causes of mortality, South Africa 2000 (Initial Burden of Disease Study)

Leading causes of mortality, South Africa 2000

Authors: Dr Rosana Norman, Prof Debbie Bradshaw, Michelle Schneider, Desiree Pieterse and Dr Pam Groenewald

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Last updated:
20 December, 2012

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