Despite Covid-19, cardio, cerebrovascular diseases, cancer remain top killers in PHL

THE Covid-19 virus that crippled the global economy and shuttered many businesses in the process has also continued to cause the death of thousands of Filipinos as of September 2022, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA’S latest data showed that Covid-19 deaths were still one of the top Filipino killers causing the death of 13,883 Filipinos or 3.3 percent of the total registered deaths from January to September 2022.

“By classification, Covid-19 with virus identified and Covid-19 virus not identified were both included in the 20 leading causes of death,” PSA added.

The data showed Covid-19 with virus identified was the 11th leading cause of death in the country with 9,749 cases or 2.3 percent of the total deaths.

PSA said registered deaths due to Covid-19 with virus not identified accounted for 4,134 or 1 percent of the total deaths, making it the 19th leading cause of death.

The data also showed that the National Capital Region (NCR) registered the highest number of deaths due to Covid-19 with 3,444 or 24.8 percent of the total Covid-19 deaths from January to September 2022.

In NCR, Quezon City reported the highest number of deaths due to Covid-19, with 659 deaths or 19.1 percent of the total Covid-19 deaths in the region from January to September 2022.

This was followed by the City of Manila and City of Pasig with 551 or 16 percent and 347 or 10.1 percent of Covid-19 deaths, respectively.

NCR was followed by Region 4A (Calabarzon), which ranked second with 2,257 deaths or 16.3 percent of the total while Central Luzon came in third with 1,888 deaths or 13.6 percent of the total.

However, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) reported the least number of registered Covid-19 deaths with only 38 cases.

Meanwhile, the top 3 causes of death in the country from January to September of 2022 were still ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and neoplasms.

“The leading causes of death in the same period in 2021 were ischaemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and Covid-19 virus identified,” the PSA said.

From January to September 2022, ischaemic heart diseases were the leading cause of death with 77,173 cases or 18.5 percent of the total deaths in the country.

The data also showed cerebrovascular diseases, came in second with 42,890 deaths or 10.3 percent of the total while neoplasms, commonly known as “cancer,” were the third leading cause which accounted for 42,497 recorded cases or a 10.2 percent share from January to September 2022.

Deaths due to diabetes mellitus recorded 26,774 cases or 6.4 percent share, making it the fourth leading cause of death, while deaths due to hypertensive diseases, which ranked fifth, recorded 23,971 cases or 5.7 percent share.