Heart diseases, cancer top causes of deaths among Filipinos in 2020 – PSA

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17) — Heart diseases and cancer remain the leading causes of deaths among Filipinos in 2020, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Data from the PSA released on Tuesday showed around 99,680 Filipinos died due to heart diseases last year, surpassing the 82,547 average deaths from 2015-2019. The death count is a 2.3% increase from the over 97,500 recorded in 2019.

Meanwhile, 62,289 Filipinos died of cancer in 2020—a drop of about 9.3% from the death toll in 2019.

Cerebrovascular diseases were the third leading cause of deaths among Filipinos last year, which accounted for 59,736 fatalities. The number is 6% lower from the previous count in 2019.

Deaths due to diabetes mellitus ranked fourth in 2020 with 37,265 fatalities, which is up by 7.8% from the 2019 tally. Diabetes mellitus is a disorder where the body cannot produce enough insulin, causing blood sugar levels to go high.

Pneumonia completes the top five causes of death in the country last year with around 37,265 deaths—posting a 48.1% decrease from the over 62,000 cases in 2019.

Hypertensive diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death last year with 29,511 fatalities.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 fatalities were at 27,967 last year. Of that number, 19,758 were probable, suspected, or clinically-epidemiologically diagnosed cases—referred to as 'COVID-19-virus not identified' by the World Health Organization. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the country last year. The rest—or 8,209 deaths—were due to confirmed infections, or 'COVID-19-virus identified'.

The National Capital Region tallied the most COVID-19 fatalities with 12,582. Quezon City recorded the most coronavirus related deaths in NCR with 2,566, followed by Manila with 1,810, and Pasig City with 1,447 deaths.

CALABARZON is the region with the second-most COVID-19 deaths with 6,914. Central Luzon is at third place with 2,576, followed by Central Visayas with 1,863. Western Visayas completed the Top 5 with 1,080 deaths.

The PSA obtained data on registered deaths from city/municipal registrar offices in the country. Data on COVID-19 deaths were based from descriptions written on the medical certificate portion of all death certificates received that were certified by local health officers.