World health statistics 2005

Overview

The World Health Organization (WHO) collects and summarizes a wide range of quantitative data from a variety of health domains through country offices, regional offices and headquarter departments. These data are used internally by WHO for estimation, advocacy, policy development and evaluation. They are also widely disseminated in formal publications and through more informal mechanisms, both in electronic and printed format.

This publication focuses on a basic set of health indicators that were selected on the basis of current availability and quality of data and include the majority of health indicators that have been selected for monitoring progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The set of indicators is not intended to capture all relevant aspects of health but to provide a snap-shot of the current health situation in countries. Importantly, the indicators in this set are not fixed - some will, over the years be added or gain in importance while others may become less relevant.