WHO sets out world's deadly top 10

October 30, 2002

12:00 30 October 02

NewScientist.com news service

Just 10 avoidable risk factors, including malnutrition, unsafe

sex, smoking and poor sanitation, account for a massive 40 per cent of

global deaths each year, warns the World Health Organization.

The WHO's new data on patterns of death and illness appear in its

World Health Report 2002, launched on Wednesday. The WHO says that cheap

remedies exist and that governments of all countries can do more to

prevent unnecessary and premature death. It concludes such

countermeasures could extend average life expectancy by five to 10

years.

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