Avoidable mortality measures deaths that could be prevented through effective healthcare systems, public health policies, or behavioral changes.
It is divided into preventable deaths (avoidable through primary prevention) and treatable deaths (avoidable through timely medical care).
Preventable mortality: Deaths avoidable via public health interventions like smoking cessation programs, vaccination campaigns, or road safety measures: include lung cancer (linked to smoking) and COVID-19 (preventable through vaccination).
Treatable mortality: Deaths avoidable through secondary prevention (e.g., early detection) or effective treatment. Examples include colorectal cancer (with timely screening) and diabetic complications.
Age limit: Focuses on premature deaths before age 75, as these are more likely to reflect systemic healthcare or policy failures.
In Europe, 371,000 deaths (93 per 100,000 people) are avoidable annually, with preventable causes accounting for ~60% of cases.
Major contributors: Preventable: Infectious diseases (22%, driven by COVID-19), injuries (17%), and alcohol/drug-related deaths (13%).
Treatable: Cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart attacks) and cancers.
Globally, over 3 million premature deaths in OECD countries (2020–2021) were avoidable, representing nearly one-third of all deaths.
Healthcare spending vs. outcomes: Higher spending does not always correlate with lower avoidable mortality.
The U.S., despite high spending, saw rising avoidable mortality (2009–2019), while other OECD countries reduced rates.
Reducing preventable deaths from noncommunicable diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension) could save billions in healthcare costs and productivity losses.
Based on the search results, the percentage of avoidable deaths varies depending on the context and methodology used:
McGinnis’ analysis showed that in 2010, nearly half of all deaths—48 percent—were linked to behavioral and other preventable causes in the United States, which represents a significant portion of total mortality.
For the five leading causes of death in the United States, 20 percent to 40 percent of the deaths from each cause could be prevented according to CDC data.
This means that between one-fifth and two-fifths of deaths from major causes like heart disease, cancer, and stroke are considered avoidable.
In healthcare facilities specifically, the pooled rate of preventable mortality was 3.1% among hospitalized patients.
Of the roughly 150,000 people who die each day across the globe, about two thirds—100,000 per day—die of age-related causes , with this proportion reaching 90% in industrialized nations.
The 20-48% range appears most commonly in studies examining preventable deaths from major causes in developed countries.
Avoidable mortality remains a critical tool for evaluating health system performance and guiding policy.