WHO: "Stroke is the leading cause of death in North Korea... Tuberculosis is the top infectious disease"

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un is presiding over an expanded meeting of the Workers' Party Political Bureau held at the Workers' Party headquarters in Pyongyang on the 29th of last month. A cigarette pack (red circle) and an ashtray are noticeable on Chairman Kim's desk.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that the leading cause of death in North Korea last year was stroke, and among infectious diseases, tuberculosis was the highest.

According to WHO's "2019 Global Health Estimates" report released on the 10th, the leading cause of death in North Korea last year was stroke, with 193.4 deaths per 100,000 population due to this disease. Cardiovascular diseases (122.1 deaths per 100,000) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (102 deaths) followed.

Among infectious diseases, tuberculosis (67.9 deaths), ranked 4th overall, was the highest, and lower respiratory infections (24.3 deaths), ranked 6th overall, were also among the major causes of death.

Among injuries, traffic accidents (24.2 deaths) ranked 7th and were the only injury-related cause to be in the top 10 causes of death.

Globally, the most common causes of death last year were cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections, in that order. Tuberculosis did not rank within the top 10 causes of death worldwide.

In contrast, in low-income countries including North Korea, the leading cause of death was neonatal conditions, followed by lower respiratory infections, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke.

The three major infectious diseases?malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS?ranked 6th, 8th, and 9th respectively.

WHO pointed out that "although malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS all remain within the top 10 causes of death, the number of deaths from all three diseases is significantly decreasing."

Meanwhile, North Korea claims that the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is "zero." Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, publicly declared both domestically and internationally during the military parade speech for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Party last October that there are no confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Korea. However, WHO estimates that there are about 6,000 suspected COVID-19 cases in North Korea.