Often Preventable Deaths/Population
November 1, 2007—Africa appears to swell like a balloon when the world is mapped according to how many people died in 2002 due to diseases and other conditions that are largely preventable (top).
The continent appears much smaller by contrast in a map that sizes the countries of the world according to their shares of the human population (bottom).
These are just some of over a hundred "cartograms" released on October 19 by Worldmapper, a collaborative project spearheaded by researchers at the University of Sheffield in England and the University of Michigan. The maps use 2002 data from the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Burden of Disease project to put a geographic twist on cause-of-death statistics.
Of the roughly 57 million people who died in 2002, more than 18 million succumbed to communicable diseases, complications from childbirth, or nutritional deficiencies, according to WHO. Worldmapper labels these deaths as "often preventable" because the conditions could have been easily treated with modern medicine.
The situation is "characteristic of populations that have not gone through the epidemiological transition to high life expectancy with most disease concentrated in older years," Colin Douglas Mathers, the WHO official responsible for the Global Burden of Disease data, said via email.
"Such populations, typically in India and Africa, are characterized by high infant and child mortality, high maternal mortality, and high levels of infectious diseases."
November 1, 2007—Africa appears to swell like a balloon when the world is mapped according to how many people died in 2002 due to diseases and other conditions that are largely preventable (top).
The continent appears much smaller by contrast in a map that sizes the countries of the world according to their shares of the human population (bottom).
These are just some of over a hundred "cartograms" released on October 19 by Worldmapper, a collaborative project spearheaded by researchers at the University of Sheffield in England and the University of Michigan. The maps use 2002 data from the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Burden of Disease project to put a geographic twist on cause-of-death statistics.
Of the roughly 57 million people who died in 2002, more than 18 million succumbed to communicable diseases, complications from childbirth, or nutritional deficiencies, according to WHO. Worldmapper labels these deaths as "often preventable" because the conditions could have been easily treated with modern medicine.
The situation is "characteristic of populations that have not gone through the epidemiological transition to high life expectancy with most disease concentrated in older years," Colin Douglas Mathers, the WHO official responsible for the Global Burden of Disease data, said via email.
"Such populations, typically in India and Africa, are characterized by high infant and child mortality, high maternal mortality, and high levels of infectious diseases."
HIV/AIDS Deaths/Population
A Worldmapper cartogram highlights the high cost of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa (top) compared to the continent's size when adjusted according to population (bottom).
In 2002 the region suffered about 80 percent of the 2.6 million deaths attributed to AIDS worldwide. This means that the disease, which goes largely untreated there, killed more than 6,000 Africans a day.
According to Worldmapper, the cartograms are akin to pie charts, except the slices of the pie are shaped into countries.
"I think that looking at a map rather than just the raw data allows you to see the whole picture and makes for easier comparison between the different datasets," Worldmapper's John Pritchard said in an email.
"We have plans for making more use of animations that morph one map to another … I think that this will be another useful tool in understanding the maps."
A Worldmapper cartogram highlights the high cost of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa (top) compared to the continent's size when adjusted according to population (bottom).
In 2002 the region suffered about 80 percent of the 2.6 million deaths attributed to AIDS worldwide. This means that the disease, which goes largely untreated there, killed more than 6,000 Africans a day.
According to Worldmapper, the cartograms are akin to pie charts, except the slices of the pie are shaped into countries.
"I think that looking at a map rather than just the raw data allows you to see the whole picture and makes for easier comparison between the different datasets," Worldmapper's John Pritchard said in an email.
"We have plans for making more use of animations that morph one map to another … I think that this will be another useful tool in understanding the maps."
Lung Cancer Deaths/Population
A cartogram suggests that deaths due to lung cancer were highest in the United States, Europe, and Asia (top). That's because these countries appear much larger than they do compared to a similar map of global population (bottom).
Of the more than a hundred recognized cancers, lung cancer accounted for the most cancer-related deaths in 2002. A major cause was cigarette smoking, but exposure to dust containing asbestos, iron oxides, chromium, and radioactivity also played a part.
Globally, all known cancers accounted for 7,144,549—or about 12 percent—of the 57 million deaths in 2002.
A cartogram suggests that deaths due to lung cancer were highest in the United States, Europe, and Asia (top). That's because these countries appear much larger than they do compared to a similar map of global population (bottom).
Of the more than a hundred recognized cancers, lung cancer accounted for the most cancer-related deaths in 2002. A major cause was cigarette smoking, but exposure to dust containing asbestos, iron oxides, chromium, and radioactivity also played a part.
Globally, all known cancers accounted for 7,144,549—or about 12 percent—of the 57 million deaths in 2002.
Murders/Population
The number of murders (top) was significantly higher in South America and Africa, which appear to swell compared to a cartogram showing global population.
In 2002 murders accounted for 560,247 of the more than a million nonaccidental deaths worldwide—or roughly one percent of total deaths that year.
The number of murders (top) was significantly higher in South America and Africa, which appear to swell compared to a cartogram showing global population.
In 2002 murders accounted for 560,247 of the more than a million nonaccidental deaths worldwide—or roughly one percent of total deaths that year.
Suicides/Population
Asia suffers most of the world's suicide deaths, as seen in a cartogram showing the size of the world's countries adjusted for the number of self-inflicted deaths (top) compared to one based on global population (bottom).
Overall, WHO data suggest that individuals are more likely to kill themselves than they are to kill other people. Suicides accounted for 877,779 nonaccidental deaths worldwide—317,532 more than those attributed to murder.
Asia suffers most of the world's suicide deaths, as seen in a cartogram showing the size of the world's countries adjusted for the number of self-inflicted deaths (top) compared to one based on global population (bottom).
Overall, WHO data suggest that individuals are more likely to kill themselves than they are to kill other people. Suicides accounted for 877,779 nonaccidental deaths worldwide—317,532 more than those attributed to murder.
War Deaths/Population
Data suggest that war deaths due both to direct combat and landmines hit hardest in Africa (top) when compared to a map depicting world population (bottom).
But experts with WHO note that casualties of war are especially difficult to tally.
"The estimates are based on a range of sources, primarily databases that collect reported deaths and, for some conflicts, surveys that have asked about deaths," Mathers said.
According to the best available data, war took the lives of 171,319 people—or 0.3 percent of all deaths—in 2002.
Data suggest that war deaths due both to direct combat and landmines hit hardest in Africa (top) when compared to a map depicting world population (bottom).
But experts with WHO note that casualties of war are especially difficult to tally.
"The estimates are based on a range of sources, primarily databases that collect reported deaths and, for some conflicts, surveys that have asked about deaths," Mathers said.
According to the best available data, war took the lives of 171,319 people—or 0.3 percent of all deaths—in 2002.
