In south Asia, the rise of risk factors for non-communicable diseases is shown by the substantial increase in the burden attributable to tobacco smoking including second-hand smoke, high blood pressure and other metabolic risk factors, dietary risk factors, and alcohol use. However, household air pollution from solid fuels was, despite decreases, the leading risk factor in 2010. Childhood underweight was still the fourth leading risk factor in 2010, despite its share of disease burden having more than halved from 11·9% [95% UI 10·1–14·4] of DALYs in 1990, to 4·0% [3·2–4·9] in 2010. Other risk factors for communicable disease, such as suboptimal breastfeeding and micronutrient deficiencies, fell sub stantially in the region as child mortality decreased.
