Those same non-communicable diseases are also the top killers in the US, but deaths from communicable disease like HIV/AIDS and malaria are much higher worldwide.

Alex is a cofounder and editor of The Seattle Globalist. He's a visual journalist whose work has been published by PBS, The Seattle Times, FRONTLINE/World and the Seattle Weekly.  Alex teaches journalism in the University of Washington's Department of Communication and recently directed the documentary film Barzan.