Probability of dying from a non communicable disease: Change between 2010 and 2020, worldwide For much of human history, infectious diseases, maternal and neonatal conditions, and nutritional deficiencies defined the leading edge of mortality. Plagues, diarrheal disease, and tuberculosis were the archetypal killers. By contrast, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs)—heart disease, cancer, diabetes, chronic lung disease—were rare,... Continue Reading →