This is the gateway page to the World Health Organization's (WHO) datasets, reports, press releases and other publications. Each week, this page highlights a recent or interesting report, showing maps, graphics and interesting statistics. Scroll down to see links to WHO's major reports on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs,) and Themes - the organizing principles of the Global Health Observatory. Themes cover WHO's major programs and areas of interest:
For other topics, click on the Health Topics tab. For the latest news and press releases, see the Media Center. View WHO publications, for journals, EBM guides, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD,) the bookstore and other works. The Countries tab provides quick access to national data. All the WHO programmes, tools and projects are listed by name, including updates such as Disease Outbreaks and FluNet, and data query tools such as
About
"The GHO data repository contains an extensive list of indicators, which can be selected by theme or through a multi-dimension query functionality. It is the World Health Organization's main health statistics repository."
Organization
A list of subjects, with subcategories, is on the left hand side of the screen, with icons as described by WHO: "A folder signals a category; closed means that it is expandable 
, open 
means that the subcategories are listed below. A paper icon 
signals a subcategory; clicking on it will show a list of indicators. An arrowhead 
signals indicators; clicking on this will generate a table in the middle of the browser."
In general, avoid searching the Data repository: it lacks automatic term matching. For example, searching for _hunger_ locates the Millennium Development Goals- Poverty and Hunger, but misses Nutrition - Child Malnutrition. Therefore, be prepared to browse through the entire list.
Use to find
Statistical tables.
About
"GHO issues analytical reports on the current situation and trends for priority health issues." Reports include most World Health Organization publications: annual statistical compilations, whitepapers, and summaries from WHO programmes such as Cholera and Road safety.
Organization
Reports are organized by themes. Each theme has a idiosyncratic (and sometimes confusing) organizational structure. Cholera is by date; Road safety and Alcohol & Health are by region. Public Health and Environment is by topic; Malaria is by the format in which information was released (press releases, statistical tables.)
Use to find
Publications of all kinds
About
"Country statistical pages bring together the main health data and statistics for each country, as compiled by WHO and partners in close consultation with Member States, and include descriptive and analytical summaries of health indicators for major health topics."
Organization
Nations are listed alphabetically. Each nation's page links to Country data and statistics (summary of statistics; life tables; disease and injury country estimates,) a Country profile, and Country metadata (health reports; primary data.) The quality and extent of statistics varies: Afghanistan's reports are less detailed than those of the United States.
Use to find
National data
About
"The GHO map gallery includes an extensive list of maps on major health topics. Maps are classified by themes as below, and can be further searched by keyword."
Organization
Themes include disease (cholera, malaria, HIV,) health issues (road safety, women and health,) and health policy (health systems financing.) The maps in each theme may cover just one country, a region or the world. Some highlight a particular event, others show trends or a snapshot in time.
Once a theme has been opened, clicking on a grey bar at the top of the screen labelled "Open Search" lets you find textwords in the description of the maps. Search does automatic truncation. However, if you want to view a second theme, the search is carried over to the next one opened. Therefore, open all map themes BEFORE searching.
Use to find
Maps
About
Standards is like MeSH. "The WHO Indicator and Measurement Registry (IMR) is a central source of metadata of health-related indicators used by WHO and other organizations. It includes indicator definitions, data sources, methods of estimation and other information..."
Organization
You can download the annual compendium in PDF (794 kb for 2011) or click on Access the registry, which offers "Browse Indicators:" Browse by Topic and Browse by Set. When one or the other browsers is selected, only that choice is available and the back button does not return to the original page. Therefore, open each Browse topic in its own Tab if access to both may be desired.
Use to find
Data organized by WHO indicators.
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