People are living longer, but violent deaths are on the rise
Conflict, terrorism and gun violence are claiming more lives around the world now than a decade ago, according to a new study published Thursday in the health journal The Lancet.
Deaths caused by war and terrorism spiked after 2006, with 150,500 reported in 2016 — a 143% increase from 10 years earlier. These fatalities occurred largely as a result of conflicts in North Africa and the Middle East, the researchers noted.
Worldwide, gun deaths also climbed during the same period: In 2016, firearm suicide fatalities reached 67,500 and firearm assault casualties rose to 161,000, increases of 4.3% and 5.7%, respectively, from 2006.
Guns may be the direct cause of more deaths, but the there was an overall 3% decrease in fatalities caused by self-harm during the decade ending in 2016, the study indicated.
The Global Burden of Disease study, an annual assessment of health trends, provides worldwide and national estimates on more than 330 diseases, causes of death and injuries in 195 countries and territories.
The study, coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, requires assistance from more than 2,500 researchers around the globe.
