World health statistics 2012

Overview

The World Health Statistics series is WHO’s annual compilation of health-related data for its 194 Member States1 and includes a summary of the progress made towards achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and associated targets.

This year, it also includes highlight summaries on the topics of noncommunicable diseases, universal health coverage and civil registration coverage. The series is produced by the WHO Department of Health Statistics and Information Systems of the Innovation, Information, Evidence and Research Cluster. As in previous years, World Health Statistics 2012 has been compiled using publications and databases produced and maintained by WHO technical programmes and regional offices.

A number of demographic and socioeconomic statistics have also been derived from databases maintained by a range of other organizations. These include the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank.