WHO urges better care for the poor

The WHO said policy-makers should find a "double response," by integrating prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Of the 45 million deaths among adults worldwide last year, almost three-quarters were caused by non-communicable diseases. These are the main cause of death in all regions, except Africa, where HIV/AIDS has become the leading cause of mortality among adults aged 15-59 years.

The leading killers last year were: HIV/AIDS, with 2.3 million deaths; heart disease, 1.3 million; tuberculosis, 1 million; stroke, 800,000. Road accidents killed 800,000 people, mostly in developing countries.