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During the 20th
century, the decline of infectious disease mortality has been the most
important cause of increased life-expectancy. Infectious disease as a cause
of illness and death in the 1920s and 1930s was of huge importance. Although
the introduction of immunizing agents, suiphonamides and antibiotics have
had an enormous impact, new problems have arisen, such as antibiotic
resistant organisms, and new conditions such as AIDS and Legionella. The
decline in respiratory mortality was second in importance. There have also
been major declines in death rates for the diseases of the digestive,
genito-urinary and nervous systems. One of the most dramatic changes over
the years in the question has been the reduction in maternal, infant and
child mortality. As against these declines there have been increases in
mortality for circulatory diseases and cancers. |
