Coming: New estimates of global health risks

The report will identify the global and regional mortality and disease burden associated with 24 health risks.

In the editorial Gretchen Stevens, Maya Mascarenhas and Colin Mathers point out that: "These risk factors range from environmental risks such as exposure to smoke from indoor solid fuel use, to metabolic risks such as high blood pressure. The report finds that five leading risk factors (childhood underweight, unsafe sex, alcohol use, unsafe water and sanitation, and high blood pressure) are responsible for one-quarter of all deaths in the world and one-fifth of all disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Success in reducing exposure to these five risk factors alone would increase global life expectancy by nearly 5 years."

The editorial goes on to outline that the report describes the changing risk profiles of developing countries and discusses the challenges related to assessing risks.

See the full text of the editorial here.