The Population Reference Bureau's 2012 World Population Data Sheet
With the recent publication of its 2012 World Population Data Sheet, the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) marked the 50th anniversary of this valuable source of information. This year’s data sheet, which includes 19 population, health, and environment indicators for more than 200 countries, devotes much attention to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), now the leading cause of death in all regions of the world except sub-Saharan Africa. Even in sub-Saharan Africa, NCDs will account for nearly half of all deaths by 2030.
Last week, Wendy Baldwin, PRB president and CEO, and Carl Haub, senior demographer, hosted a webinar to unveil the new fact sheet. The talk highlighted the four NCDs that are currently driving global mortality: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer. Baldwin and Haub pointed out that tobacco use, diet, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and excessive alcohol consumption are responsible for half of the risk from NCDs. Watch the video below to hear Wendy Baldwin talk about what youth can do to prevent NCDs.
