The global burden of disease is shifting from infectious to noncommunicable, with chronic conditions such as stroke and heart related diseases now being the chief causes of death globally.

According to World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics, 2008 reports, which was collected from its 193 member countries, the shift in health trend indicates that leading infectious diseases - diarrhoea, HIV, tuberculosis, neonatal infections and malaria will become less important causes of death globally over the next 20 years.

Dr Ties Boerma, director of WHO department of health statistics and informatics, said: "We are definitely seeing a trend towards fewer people dying of infectious diseases across the world. We tend to associate developing countries with infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. In many countries, the chief causes of death are noncommunicable diseases such as heart disease and stroke".

The statistical report also draws attention to important issues in global health, including:

. Maternal mortality: In developed countries, nine mothers die for every 100,000 live births, while in developing countries the death rate is 450 and in sub-saharan Africa it is 950.

. Life expectancy trends in Europe: Life expectancy in eastern Europe increased from an average of 64.2 years in 1950 to 67.8 years in 2005, representing an increase of only about four years compared with 9 to 15 years for the rest of Europe.

. Health-care costs: 100 million people are impoverished every year by paying out of pocket for health care.

. Coverage of key maternal, neonatal and child health interventions: four out of 10 women and children do not receive basic preventive and curative interventions, and at current rates of progress it will take several decades before this gap is closed.

World health statistics 2008 is the official record of data produced by WHO's technical programmes and regional offices in close consultation with countries and in collaboration with researchers and development agencies.  In publishing these statistics, WHO underlines continuing health challenges and provides an evidence base for strategies to improve global public health.