Mortality rates for young adults have increased in Eastern Europe over the past decade, despite global death rates falling.
Drug-use, suicide and war are among the causes of death that are rising in Eastern Europe, while earthquakes and climate-related disasters have also pushed up death rates in the region.
The Global Burden of Disease report — published in The Lancet on Sunday and presented at the World Health Summit in Berlin — analyzed data from more than 200 countries and territories to estimate the leading causes of illness, mortality and early death worldwide from 1990 to 2023.
Between 2000 and 2023, there was a notable rise in deaths among younger adults in Eastern Europe caused by HIV, self-harm and personal violence. In Central Europe, deaths from mental disorders and eating disorders have also risen sharply among teens over the decade.
This reflects a global trend — a rise in mental health disorders, with worldwide rates of anxiety increasing by 63 percent and of depression by 26 percent.
“The rise of depression and anxiety is very concerning,” coauthor Chris Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, told POLITICO. “We hear a lot of debate as to what the root causes are … but we certainly need to pay attention to try to figure out what’s driving the rise. “
The report shows some overall positive trends: Global mortality rates dropped by 67 percent between 1950 and 2023 and global life expectancy in 2023 was more than 20 years higher compared to 1950.
But despite the improvements, the study also highlights “an emerging crisis” of higher death rates in teenagers and young adults in certain regions.
In North America and Latin America, for example, deaths among young people increased significantly from 2011 to 2023, mainly due to suicide, drug overdose and high consumption of alcohol. In sub-Saharan Africa, they increased due to infectious diseases and unintentional injuries.
In Eastern Europe, the largest increases in mortality were among those aged 15-19 year and 20-24 years, with rates increasing by 54 percent and 40 percent, respectively, between 2011 and 2023.
The report also tracks leading causes of mortality worldwide. It found that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now account for nearly two-thirds of the world’s total mortality and morbidity, led by ischemic heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
In particular, in lower-middle and upper-middle income countries there is a “very rapid transition towards non-communicable diseases,” said Murray, driven by factors such as an aging population, slow or no progress on tobacco and air pollution, and rising levels of obesity.
In Central Europe and North America, these chronic diseases were primarily driven by an increase in drug use disorders, according to the report. Diabetes and kidney disease also largely contributed to the increase in Central Europe, along with several other regions. “Addressing these trends requires targeted public health interventions, improved health-care access, and socioeconomic policies to mitigate the underlying risk factors,” the report authors urge.
The researchers estimate that half of all deaths and disability could be prevented by tackling high levels of blood sugar, overweight and obesity, for example.
The report also points out how conflict has “begun to shift from north Africa and the Middle East to central Europe, eastern Europe, and central Asia,” in recent years due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. This has led to a rise in injury-related deaths. Palestine had the highest mortality rate due to conflict and terrorism of any country in the world.
While injury-related deaths caused by specific natural disasters, such as the 2023 earthquake in Turkey and the 2022-23 heatwaves in Europe, are also on the rise. “In central and eastern Europe, heatwaves have been occurring more frequently over the past decade,” the authors said.
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