Eritrea
Leading cause: Heart Disease · 77% plant-based · 66.5 yr life expectancy · UHC 40/100
What People Eat
Cardiovascular and dietary profile drawn from WHO Global Health Estimates. Plant-based score reflects the share of whole plant foods (grains, legumes, vegetables, fruit, nuts) in the typical national diet.
Disease Burden
Leading cause of death: Heart Disease · 195 / 100k
Bars show each rate against the global range; the tick marks the world median.
Heart disease (195/100k) leads while a largely plant-based diet (sorghum, lentils, injera, vegetables) keeps diet-driven disease modest. A closed, low-spending health system and infectious disease constrain the 67-year life expectancy.
Healthcare System
Sources: WHO UHC Service Coverage Index (SDG 3.8.1) & WHO Global Health Expenditure Database. Latest available year.
What Could Improve
- Primary-care access and infectious-disease control are the decisive levers, not diet.
- Preserve the protective grain-and-legume diet as the food environment changes.
Explore the evidence: Heart Disease
WHO Global Health Estimates · 2022 · age-standardized country data
→ 195 CVD deaths per 100k · 77% plant-based diet