Thread by @MaxCRoser

Our mission is to provide the data and research to make progress against the world’s largest problems: OurWorldInData.org/About

What are the world’s largest problems?
This week I thought I do a thread on all the global problems we research; starting with health. ↓↓

• Globally 3.9% of all newborns die in the first 5 years of their life.
• This means that 5.5 million children die per year.

Why are children dying and what can be done to prevent it?
→ Our research on Child & Infant Mortality OurWorldInData.org/Child-mortality

• The global average life expectancy is 73 years. The global inequality can be seen in the map below.

When did the average age at which people die increase and how can we make further progress against early death?
→ Our research on life expectancy OurWorldInData.org/Life-expectancy

• Every year 303,000 women die from pregnancy-related causes.

Why are mothers dying and what can be done to prevent the deaths of mothers?
→ Our research on maternal mortality OurWorldInData.org/maternal-morta…

56 million people die every year. What do they die from? How did the causes of death change over time?

→ Our research on the causes of deaths OurWorldInData.org/causes-of-death

What is the global impact of disease, disability, accidents, and premature deaths? How is the burden of disease distributed and how did it change over time?

→ Our research on the global burden of disease OurWorldInData.org/burden-of-dise…

• 9.6 million people die from cancer every year, 54% are younger than 70 years.

Cancers are one of the leading causes of death globally. Are we making progress against cancer?
→ Our research on cancer OurWorldInData.org/cancer

• It is estimated that 792 million people have a mental health disorder.

→ We provide a global overview of the prevalence of depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and schizophrenia OurWorldInData.org/mental-health

• 800,000 die from suicide in one year; 58% are younger than 50 years.
Every suicide is a tragedy. But they can be prevented.

→ Our research on suicides OurWorldInData.org/suicide

• 1 million die from HIV/AIDS per year, 84% are younger than 50 years.
It is a global epidemic and the leading cause of death in some countries.

→ Our research on HIV/AIDS OurWorldInData.org/hiv-aids

• 620,000 die from malaria per year, 57% are children younger than 5 years.

How did we eliminate the disease in some world regions and how can we continue progress against malaria?
→ Our research on malaria OurWorldInData.org/malaria

Humanity has already eradicated one severe disease. Which ones could we eradicate in our lifetimes and how?

→ Our research on the eradication of diseases OurWorldInData.org/eradication-of…

• Every year 1.6 million people die because of diarrheal diseases. One third are children younger than five.

How can we continue to make progress against these diseases?
→ Our research on diarrheal diseases OurWorldInData.org/diarrheal-dise…

Smallpox once killed millions every year. Then humanity eradicated it globally.

How was this possible?
→ Our research on smallpox OurWorldInData.org/smallpox

Just a generation ago polio paralyzed hundreds of thousands of children every year.
Now the world can possibly eradicate it: polio remains endemic in only 2 countries.

→ Our research on polio OurWorldInData.org/polio

• 40,000 die from Tetanus every year; half are children under 5 years old.

→ Our research on tetanus OurWorldInData.org/Tetanus

• 2.6 million die from pneumonia every year. Every third victim is a child younger than 5.
It is the leading cause of death for children younger than 5 years.

How can we make progress?
→ Our research on pneumonia OurWorldInData.org/pneumonia

Healthcare is key to make progress against poor health. How is it financed?

→ Our research on financing healthcare OurWorldInData.org/financing-heal…

Vaccines are key in making progress against infectious diseases and save millions of lives every year.
• But 14% of children in the world do not receive basic vaccines.

→ Our research on vaccination OurWorldInData.org/vaccination

Another important part of our research are the large health risks: air pollution (indoor and outdoor), smoking, alcohol, drugs, obesity and more.

• Per year 8.1 million die prematurely as a result of smoking. Half are younger than 70 years.

Tobacco smoking is one of the world’s largest health problems today.
→ Our research on smoking OurWorldInData.org/smoking

• Every year 2.8 million die prematurely as a result of alcohol consumption. 74% are younger than 70 years.

Who consumes the most alcohol? How has consumption changed over time? And what are the health impacts?
→ Our research on alcohol consumption OurWorldInData.org/alcohol-consum…

• Illicit drugs are responsible for 590,000 premature deaths per year; 42% are younger than 50 years.

How common is the use and addiction to opioids, cocaine, and amphetamines? What is the impact?
→ Our research OurWorldInData.org/illicit-drug-u…

• Globally 13% of adults are obese.
• Obesity is responsible for 4.7 million premature deaths per year, 53% are younger than 70 years.

When did obesity increase? How do rates vary across the world? What is the health impact?
→ Our research on obesity OurWorldInData.org/obesity

• Per year 3.4 Million people die from outdoor air pollution, 43% are younger than 70 years.

Outdoor air pollution is one of the world’s largest health and environmental problems.
→ Our research on outdoor air pollution OurWorldInData.org/outdoor-air-po…

• Per year 1.6 million people die from indoor air pollution.

Indoor air pollution – caused by the burning of firewood, crop waste, and dung for cooking and heating – is a major health risk of the world’s poorest.
→ Our research on indoor air pollution OurWorldInData.org/indoor-air-pol…