2 Patterns in death and dying

Doctor looking at a chest x-ray in hospital, © Shutterstock

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A doctor in a white coat holding a chest x-ray slide and looking at it.

Doctor looking at a chest x-ray in hospital, © Shutterstock

In this section we will explore some global death patterns, looking at total numbers, the main causes of death and variations in the level of deaths in different places and social circumstances.

As we explore these patterns we introduce key ideas developed by scholars of death and dying including “The Global Burden”, and the “Social Determinants” that provide this course with its title ‘Global trends in death and dying’.