Death, for many people, is just a phase of life that every human being must pass through. Many cultures around the world regard death as the gateway to another phase of existence which in most cases is the conversion into the spiritual world. Even though death is part and parcel of our culture and beliefs, its occurrence is still deemed as unfortunate and a massive blow to the society. The situation is made even worse when death is not caused by natural events but by avoidable circumstances, and they lead to the loss of many lives. Significant causes of death differ according to the time in which the appeared and the number of lives that they claim (Murray, 2014). In an attempt to understand the changing face of death, it is essential to analyze its major causes and the various measures that healthcare systems around the world have installed to deal with the loss of life.
There are different causes of death that exist in the world today. Among the causes that lead to many deaths include communicable diseases, road accidents, and drug abuse (Murray, 2014). Drug abuse has proven to be difficult to do away with despite the numerous interventions that governments and other institutions have made. Drug abuse leads to the death of millions of people yearly, especially young adults because its usage leads to other vices that put their lives in danger. For example, one is at risk of losing their lives and the lives of others if they use drugs and operate machinery. Additionally, the use of drugs, in the long run, causes several health complications that will eventually lead to death. Excessive use of alcohol and tobacco may result in liver cirrhosis or cancer. Communicable diseases also lead to the death of millions of people due to their easy transmission from one person to another (Murray, 2014). According to Statista (2019), infectious diseases accounted for more than 7 million deaths around the globe in 2019. The number of deaths as a result of infectious diseases varies frequently depending on the healthcare interventions made by different countries. Another major cause of death in the world is road accidents. Many people die from road accidents due to various reasons such as drunk driving, and mechanical failures. To reduce the number of deaths witnessed every year; several measures must be put in place to ensure that the above causes are addressed.
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Healthcare systems around the world have invested more in research to keep up with the changing facing face of death. Whenever certain factors start contributing highly to the number of deaths, healthcare systems automatically readjust themselves and come up with various ways through which such causes of death can be addressed ( Burtram, 1996 ). This may involve carrying out research and creating effective treatment methods, civil education to educate the public on the new threats that they face in the current environment, and working hand in hand with law enforcement to make sure that deaths through avoidable circumstances can be contained. Furthermore, according to Burtram (1996 ), healthcare systems make sure that their professionals are well trained in order to handle any new threat that may emerge effectively. Such drastic measures taken by healthcare systems have played a significant role in reducing the number of deaths around the world.
It is evident that understanding the changing face of death requires one to understand the major causes of death and the various measures put in place by healthcare systems to combat the increase in the number of deaths. The major causes of death include road accidents, drug and substance abuse, and communicable diseases. Healthcare institutions around the world have come up with many interventions to make sure that the changing nature of death is addressed. It is therefore crucial for governments and the public to offer their support to healthcare systems to enable them to handle any new causes of death that might arise.
References
Burtram, S. G. (1996). Why Are Some People Healthy and Others Are Not? The Determinants of Health of Populations: Robert G. Evans, Moms L. Barer, and Theodore R. Marmor. (Eds). The Journal of Rural Health , 12(3), 240–241. doi:10.1111/j.1748-0361.1996.tb00799.x
Murray, C, J, L. (2014). Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. (2015). The Lancet, 385(9963), 117–171. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(14)61682-2
Statista. (2019, January 15). The number of deaths caused by selected communicable diseases annually worldwide as of 2016 (in 1,000) . Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/282715/deaths-from-communicable-diseases-worldwide/
