WHO's Launch of the Health Inequality Data Repository Sheds New Light on Startling Data Statistics

By: Jason Collins

A mother and her baby being tended by a nutritionist in Tanzania. The WHO has launched a repository of almost 11 million data points which it says will help target health care where it is needed most. Copyright: Global Financing Facility, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

In April, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its insightful Health Inequality Data Repository, which has helped shed light on startling data statistics that confirm the need for more attention toward Sustainable Development Goals. This repository is believed to be the most comprehensive global collection of evidence and disaggregated data on population health and its determinants that are publicly available.

The WHOs Health Inequality Data Repository aims to track health inequalities and break down data based on predetermined parameters to get the big picture of what is happening on the topic. According to the WHO, this data repository includes over 50 datasets from over ten sources and almost 11 million data points.

In addition, the data includes measurements of more than 2,000 indicators that have been categorized according to 22 factors of inequality. These include child and maternal health, nutrition, reproduction, COVID-19, the Sustainable Development Goals, non-communicable diseases, HIV, and immunizations.

All of these topics have data that allows the world to see more than a glimpse into health inequality data statistics categorized according to more than simply age, education, sex, and religion. Some of the shocking statistics include the following:

• The lives of an estimated 1.8 million at-risk children can be saved (concerning under-five mortality rates) if wealth-related inequality is eliminated in low and middle-income countries.

• Health service coverage among newborns, children, and women in low and middle-income countries, the rich-poor gap, has nearly halved in a decade.

• Hypertension has proven to be more common in men than women in high-income countries.

• Obesity rates are interchangeable among both sexes in high-income countries.

• Hypertension rates among both sexes are similar in low-income countries, but obesity rates are believed to be higher among females than males.

These are only a few of the startling data statistics the WHOs Health Inequality Data Repository has shed light on. These shocking statistics highlight the potential for saving lives and improving health outcomes by addressing wealth-related disparities and enhancing health service coverage.