WHO: World Health Statistics 2012

MPI Diaspora Handbook

World Health Statistics 2012 contains WHO’s annual compilation of health-related data for its 194 Member States, 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.



Available in 3 languages

English    French   Spanish

Summary:

English   French  Spanish

To order a Print Copy:

English  French   Spanish

Trends in Maternal Mortality


“I am very pleased to see that the number of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth continues to decline. This shows that the enhanced effort of countries, supported by UNFPA and other development partners, is paying off. But we can’t stop here. Our work must continue to make every pregnancy wanted and every childbirth safe.”
Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA

Released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2010 confirms that the number of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth is declining. From 1990 to 2010, the annual number of maternal deaths dropped from more than 543,000 to 287,000 – a decline of 47 per cent.

The report also highlights:

  • In 2010, the global maternal mortality ratio was 210 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest maternal mortality ratio at 500 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
  • In sub-Saharan Africa, a woman faces a 1 in 39 lifetime risk of dying due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications. In South-eastern Asia the risk is 1 in 290 and in developed countries, it is 1 in 3,800.
  • Ten countries have 60 per cent of the global maternal deaths: India (56,000), Nigeria (40,000), Democratic Republic of the Congo (15,000), Pakistan (12,000), Sudan (10,000), Indonesia (9,600), Ethiopia (9,000), United Republic of Tanzania (8,500), Bangladesh (7,200) and Afghanistan (6,400).
  • Ten countries have already reached the MDG target of a 75 per cent reduction in maternal death: Belarus, Bhutan, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Iran, Lithuania, Maldives, Nepal, Romania and Viet Nam.

Resources:

2011 National Human Development Report for Russia

NHDR Russia 2011

Prepared by the Faculty of Economics at Lomonosov Moscow State University, the report identifies the basic components of modernization, addresses main parameters of the post-crisis economy and social challenges in Russia. It analyzes the development of social and institutional infrastructure to determine the role of human development in Russia’s ‘new economy’.

National human development reports are prepared by national agencies under the coordination of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report Office.  Over 600 such reports for 140+ countries have been issued so far.

Links to additional information resources

Commodities and Development


The commodity problematique continues to be of major concern in the twenty-first century, as the commodity sector constitutes the key economic activity in most Commodity-Dependent Developing Countries in terms of foreign exchange earning, fiscal revenues, income growth, employment creation and livelihood sustenance for over 2 billion people dependent on the agricultural sector.

Commodities and Development Report, 2012

State of Commodity Dependence cover

The Special Unit on Commodities of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), works as an autonomous unit on commodities. The Unit recently released several studies, including:

Commodities and Development Report 2012

Each edition of this flagship report contains a comprehensive, yet accessible, discussion of a selected topic of major relevance to policy-makers on commodity trade and development in Commodity Dependent Developing Countries.

The 2012 issue of the UCDR is analytical, topical and provides many interesting insights resulting from an in-depth analysis of how different commodities or commodity groups have been affected over the last decade by the commodity price boom, the ensuing crisis, and the emerging recovery; and what the implications are in terms of commodity-based development.

The first part of the 2012 report - Overview - is downloadable in English.

The State of Commodity Dependence 2012

This publication aims to provide an individual country overview of the commodity-related situation of 154 developing countries.It also contains graphs which present a regional and global perspective of commodity dependence in the developing world over the period 2009–2010. It is available in English.

Resources

UNODC: The 2011 Global Study on Homicide

The  United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC) has released its first Global Study on Homicide. The Study shows that young men, particularly in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and southern and central Africa, are at most risk from intentional homicide but that women are at highest risk from murder due to domestic violence. The Report can be found here in English;  Global Study on Homicide  or at the UNODC website.