GENEVA (Reuters) – Chronic conditions such as heartdisease and stroke, often associated with a Western lifestyle, havebecome the chief causes of death globally, the World HealthOrganisation (WHO) said on Tuesday.

The shift from infectious diseases including tuberculosis,HIV/AIDS and malaria — traditionally the biggest killers — tononcommunicable diseases is set to continue to 2030, the U.N.agency said in a report.

“In more and more countries, the chief causes of deaths arenoncommunicable diseases such as heart disease and stroke,” TiesBoerma, director of the WHO department of health statistics andinformatics, said in a statement.

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