Lower Respiratory Infections

Lower Respiratory Infections, including pneumonia, kill ~2.6 million annually, but this is 1.3 million fewer deaths than COPD (#3) and 6.3 million fewer than Ischaemic Heart Disease (#1). Pneumonia alone is the deadliest infectious disease for children under 5, while adults over 70 face similar risks. Unlike COPD, 70% of these deaths are preventable with vaccines, nutrition, and antibiotics, with COVID-19 temporarily elevating this ranking in 2020-2021. The category also kills 20% more people than the average of all other infectious causes combined, emphasizing its ongoing threat.