Executive summary

The global increase of living standard, the improvement in health and the consequent reduction in mortality over the last six and a half decades are among the notable achievements of development. Central to this transformation has been the epidemiological transition, from predominantly infectious causes of death to a predominance of deaths due chronic and degenerative diseases. The epidemiological transition entailed a shift in the age pattern of mortality from one in which childhood diseases were more common to a situation where disease and mortality are highly concentrated at older ages, thus the importance of analysing mortality in childhood, adulthood and at old age. The driving force in this transition is socioeconomic development accompanied by investments in public health and education.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Good Health and Well-Being