 |
The term
'epidemiological transition' describes the shift in disease patterns from a
dominance of infectious and deficiency diseases to a dominance of chronic
diseases (accompanied by a decrease in fertility and population aging), as
played out around the world.
Mortality from infectious disease is declining in many developing
countries and life expectancy is increasing. Consequently, noncommunicable
conditions, especially coronary heart disease, cancer and unintentional
injuries, take on a greater relative importance even before the infectious
and parasitic diseases have been fully controlled. |
