Do you know what the top five causes of death in the Philippines are?
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, COVID is understandably one of the five—but it’s not even in the top three. According to data compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority from January to June 2021, the top five causes of deaths in the country are: 1) ischemic heart disease, 2) cerebrovascular disease, including strokes and aneurysms, 3) neoplasms or cancers, 4) diabetes, and 5) COVID-19.
What does this tell us? Noncommunicable diseases—diseases that are usually not caused by infection, but instead, are due to genetics or lifestyle choices—are now afflicting more and more Filipinos. This is only in keeping with the global trend we’ve been seeing for quite some time now, but for the Philippines, it also means more Filipinos having to deal with long-term medication and treatment, as well as the higher risk of passing on these diseases to future generations.
For more information on noncommunicable diseases—from diabetes to hypertension, stroke to cancer—check out the Health A-Z directory of Healthy Pilipinas.
