aging-population
Population aging refers to the demographic shift in which a population's median age rises due to declining fertility and mortality rates. In plant science, understanding aging populations is relevant to studying how changing human demographics influence agricultural demand, food security research priorities, and the cultivation of crops or medicinal plants targeted at age-related health conditions. This demographic context also shapes funding and policy decisions around plant-based solutions for nutrition and medicine in aging societies.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-04-01
A major global health study found that lung infections killed 2.5 million people in 2023, with bacterial pathogens like Streptococcus pneumoniae responsible for the most deaths. While child deaths have dropped since 2010, progress remains far too slow in sub-Saharan Africa and among older adults.
Lower respiratory infections caused 2.5 million deaths and 98.7 million disability-adjusted life years globally in 2023.
Streptococcus pneumoniae accounted for 25.3% of all LRI deaths (634,000), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (10.9%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (9.1%).
Child deaths from lung infections dropped 33.4% since 2010, yet 75 of 204 countries still exceed the global target of fewer than 60 deaths per 100,000 children under 5.