Mortality at Ages 15-24 Overtakes Mortality at Ages 1-4 Worldwide

"Viner and colleagues’ study does so much more than to name the problem of mortality in adolescents and young adults. They show that mortality in young people aged 10-24 years has proved less responsive to the international alliances and interventions that have so effectively reduced early childhood mortality worldwide," Dr. Michael D. Resnick said.

"The profound health and social changes that have accompanied economic development and urbanisation are particularly toxic for young people in both high-income and low-income settings, with violence, transport and other nonintentional injuries, and suicide becoming the major causes of death for young men."

The study findings "are a call for us to truly pay attention" and to enact "a vigorous global focus on the health and mortality of adolescents and young adults," he said.

Michael D. Resnick, M.D., is in the division of adolescent health and medicine at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. He reported no financial conflicts of interest. These remarks were taken from his editorial accompanying Dr. Viner’s report (Lancet 2011 March 29 [doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60412-1]).