Leading causes of Death from Health Ailments in Peru
Respiratory Issues are the leading cause of death in the Peruvian population. Diseases such as Influenza, Pneumonia and Tuberculosis plague the nation. Many of these diseases are easily curable or eradicated in many parts of the world.
Acute Respiratory Infections
According to the World Health Organization, at least 15% of the overall deaths in young children in Peru are caused by Acute Respiratory Infections such as Influenza and Pneumonia. These infections are easily curable with the proper care and treatment. However, overcrowding, pollution and lack of access to healthcare or vaccines exacerbates the prevalence of Acute Respiratory Infections within the Peruvian Population. .
Tuberculosis
After Brazil, Peru has the highest incidence of TB in South and Central America. The disease is the fifteenth leading cause of death in the country. Resulting in about 2,300 deaths per year, TB is responsible for 2.1% of deaths in Peru. The disease is of particular concern because of high contagion rates and the prevalence and rise of multi-drug-resistant forms.
The historical context surrounding tuberculosis in Peru is a major factor contributing to its current deadliness in the country. In the 1980s, the Peruvian government advocated a single strain of antibiotic treatment, which promoted the evolution of drug resistant forms of TB. 80% of cases currently being diagnosed in Peru are multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains of TB. Treating MDR TB is a much longer and much more expensive process than treatment of other forms of TB, and has a significantly lower survival rate for patients.
Treatment capabilities exist at facilities like the Hospital Sergio Bernales on the north side of Lima, but facility capacity is not large enough to meet the need. Hospital Sergio Bernales has an 85% cure rate for TB, but modest facilities mean that it must at times turn patients away. The Washington Post reported in on a patient treated at Hospital Sergio Bernales who had completed treatment but returned to the hospital due to ongoing struggles with low weight, heart problems, and weakened kidneys. The doctor's wanted to readmit her, but were unable to due to lack of safe space. The space in the wards available was shared with active cases. The patient could not be admitted due to risk of reinfection. She was provided with medicine and sent home, where she later passed away of respiratory failure. Cases like hers, where the medical expertise and medicines are available, indicate that system capacity is one factor that may fall short in the Peru system.
The historical context surrounding tuberculosis in Peru is a major factor contributing to its current deadliness in the country. In the 1980s, the Peruvian government advocated a single strain of antibiotic treatment, which promoted the evolution of drug resistant forms of TB. 80% of cases currently being diagnosed in Peru are multi-drug-resistant (MDR) strains of TB. Treating MDR TB is a much longer and much more expensive process than treatment of other forms of TB, and has a significantly lower survival rate for patients.
Treatment capabilities exist at facilities like the Hospital Sergio Bernales on the north side of Lima, but facility capacity is not large enough to meet the need. Hospital Sergio Bernales has an 85% cure rate for TB, but modest facilities mean that it must at times turn patients away. The Washington Post reported in on a patient treated at Hospital Sergio Bernales who had completed treatment but returned to the hospital due to ongoing struggles with low weight, heart problems, and weakened kidneys. The doctor's wanted to readmit her, but were unable to due to lack of safe space. The space in the wards available was shared with active cases. The patient could not be admitted due to risk of reinfection. She was provided with medicine and sent home, where she later passed away of respiratory failure. Cases like hers, where the medical expertise and medicines are available, indicate that system capacity is one factor that may fall short in the Peru system.
HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS is the fifth highest cause of death in Peru, causing 4.62% of deaths per year. HIV prevalence is estimated at 0.4% of the population. As of 2011,an estimated 74,000 Peruvians were living with HIV. The low end and high end estimates were 38,000 and 200,000 respectively.
Learn more
For further information, we invite you to visit the following sites, which were are sources for constructing the information found on this page.
Information on leading causes of death in Peru @ World Life Expectancy
Statistics on basic health indicators in Peru @ Unicef
Detailed statistics on TB in Peru @ Blog Salud Publica
Portrait of a TB case @ The Washington Post
Information on leading causes of death in Peru @ World Life Expectancy
Statistics on basic health indicators in Peru @ Unicef
Detailed statistics on TB in Peru @ Blog Salud Publica
Portrait of a TB case @ The Washington Post