_Estimates and Projectioms of Mortality by Cause_ 10 Table 3. Deaths by major and specific cause (in thousands), by region, 1985

|_Cause_|_World_|_Devel-_<br>_oped_|_Devel-_<br>_oping_|_Indus-_<br>_trial_|_Non-_<br>_market_|_LAC_|_Sub-S_<br>_haran_<br>_Africa_|_Middle_<br>_East_<br>_a- and_<br>_North_<br>_Africa_|_Asia_|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|All causes|49899|12047|37852|<br>7313|<br>4735|3183|<br>7203|<br>4314|23151|
|Infectious, parasitic|14764|<br>1061|13704|<br>558|503|778|<br>3403|1743|<br>7780|
|<br>Diarrhea|2997|20|2977|5|15|201|<br>1158|<br>507|<br>1q11|
|Tuberculosis|844|39|805|13|25|48|119|76|<br>562|
|Acute respiratory|5549|422|5127|271|151|286|<br>1407|<br>741|<br>2693|
|<br>Measles|421|1|420|0|1|16|196|87|<br>121|
|COPD|1943|334|1608|248|87|113|<br>226|160|<br>1110<br>|
|Polio|25|1|25|0|0|2<br>|3<br>|2<br>|18<br>|
|Yellow fever|8|0|8|0|0|0|2|1|5<br>|
|Malaria|146|0|146|0|0|6|20|16|<br>105|
|Schistosoniiasis|12|0|12|0|0|0|0|1|10|
|Intestinal parasites|133|3|130|0|2|7|41|18|<br>65|
|<br>Other Infectious|2686|240|2446|20|221|99|230|135|<br>1981|
|Neoplasrns|4903|2190|2714|1629|<br>560|294|<br>242|235|<br>1943|
|<br>Circulatory|13208|<br>6075|7133|3704|2371|848|<br>909<br>|715<br>|<br>4661<br> <br>|
|<br>Ischemnic<br>heart|3948|2426|1522|1407|<br>1019|213|<br>216|19G|<br>904|
|Cerebrovascular|3813|1547|2266|873|674|176|<br>193|158<br>|<br>1738<br> <br>|
|Other cardiovascular|3705|1603|2103|1075|<br>527|302|<br>347|254|<br>1199|
|Diabetes|507|159|348|129|30|62|55|42|<br>189|
|Certain degenerative|1235|340|895|220|120|96|97|70|<br>631|
|<br>Pregnancy|225|8|218|0|7|12|48|23|<br>134|
|<br>Perinatal|3321|143|3178|51|92|218|<br>672|408|<br>1880|
|Injury, poisoning|3694|729|2965|429|299|239|<br>294|212|<br>2220|
|<br>Other|9784|1842|7941|941|902|795|<br>1635|<br>978|<br>4534|
|Mental disorders|95|46|50|36|10|5|4|3|38|
|Oral health diseases|3|1|2|0|0|1|0|0|1|
|Micronutrient|252|42|210|20|23|23|45|27|115|
|Malnutrition|372|26|346|6|20|24|67<br>|37|<br>218<br>|
|Unspecified|9061|1728|7333|879|849|742|<br>1519|911|<br>4162|

As noted earlier, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, though it is not infectious, was **included** for convenience among the infectious and parasitic diseases. This is one of the four specific causes that dominate this major category. The other three are diarrhea, acute respiratory infections (pneumonia, influenza, acute bronchitis, whooping cough, and diphtheria, but not measles, which has been separated), and other infectious and parasitic diseases. In every region, these four account for<sup>at least</sup> nine out of ten **deaths** from **this** major cause. Tuberculosis and measles account for a few percent more, and the remaining categories are quite rare. Among<sup>the four</sup> dominant causes, the balance varies considerably across regions. A major contrast<sup>is the</sup> greater importance of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in developed regions<sup>and</sup> the greater importance of diarrhea in developing regions. Acute respiratory<sup>infections,</sup> being important in both developed and developing regions, overall is responsible for a larger share of deaths than either of these two causes. The predominance of these four specific causes in these estimates accurately reflects the data reported to WHO.<sup>For</sup> instance, for reporting Latin American countries, acute respiratory infections<sup>account</sup> for a quarter to a half of all deaths due to infectious diseases in each age-sex group,<sup>and</sup>