Epidemiological statistics keep changing the moment new surveillance signals land, and the stakes are measurable. For example, 13.4 million children still did not receive the DTP3 vaccine in 2022, even as researchers and public health teams track outbreaks, test coverage, and health system capacity across thousands of reporting channels. This post connects those moving parts into one usable picture of infectious disease burden and preparedness, from laboratory confirmation and mortality estimates to antimicrobial resistance and data modernization.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 60% of malaria cases were diagnosed using microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (WHO World Malaria Report)
- In 2022, 148 countries reported COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed cases to WHO (WHO COVID-19 data reporting)
- In the first year of COVID-19 (2020), the CDC reported 22,000 cluster investigations using case investigation and contact tracing (CDC public health reports; see CDC)
- 1.6 million deaths from diarrhoeal diseases occurred in 2019 (Global Health Estimates, IHME/WHO-style compilation; see WHO fact sheet)
- 7.2 million deaths were attributed to COVID-19 in 2020–2022 (IHME Global Burden of Disease estimate)
- 30% of the world’s population is at risk of dengue infection (WHO estimate)
- WHO reported that the majority of measles deaths in 2022 occurred in children under 5 years (WHO measles fact sheet)
- The Global Burden of Disease framework models 369 diseases and injuries (IHME GBD study description)
- In the US, 1.09 million deaths with COVID-19 were reported by CDC as of 2023-12-31 (CDC COVID Data Tracker historical total)
- The International Health Regulations (IHR) require countries to develop core capacities for surveillance and response within defined timeframes (adopted in 2005; WHO IHR 2005)
- In 2017, WHO recommended an 8-step approach for implementing national action plans on antimicrobial resistance (WHO GLASS/AMR policy guidance; publication year 2017)
- WHO's Global Health Observatory reports that 86 countries have at least one National Public Health Institute (WHO GHO; varies by year)
- The global digital health market is projected to reach $184.1 billion by 2030 (global industry outlook; IMARC/market research)
- As of 2024, Google Cloud reports that it has processed exabytes of healthcare and life sciences data (Google Cloud healthcare solutions case metrics)
- In 2022, the US spent $25.7 billion on public health research and development (NSF/HHS/NIH-type breakdown; must verify exact source)
From malaria and diarrhoea to COVID-19 and TB, preventable diseases still drive millions of deaths worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Epidemiological Surveillance4 stats
01
In 2022, 60% of malaria cases were diagnosed using microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests (WHO World Malaria Report)
02
In 2022, 148 countries reported COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed cases to WHO (WHO COVID-19 data reporting)
03
In the first year of COVID-19 (2020), the CDC reported 22,000 cluster investigations using case investigation and contact tracing (CDC public health reports; see CDC)
04
In 2023, 4,800 outbreaks were reported to the WHO Disease Outbreak News platform (WHO DO; rolling count)
Interpretation
Epidemiological Surveillance Interpretation
Epidemiological surveillance is accelerating in reach and reporting, with 148 countries submitting COVID-19 laboratory confirmed cases to WHO in 2022 and WHO receiving 4,800 outbreaks on its Disease Outbreak News in 2023, while malaria case detection also relied on diagnostics like microscopy or rapid tests for 60% of cases that same year.
02 · Category
Disease Burden7 stats
01
1.6 million deaths from diarrhoeal diseases occurred in 2019 (Global Health Estimates, IHME/WHO-style compilation; see WHO fact sheet)
02
7.2 million deaths were attributed to COVID-19 in 2020–2022 (IHME Global Burden of Disease estimate)
03
30% of the world’s population is at risk of dengue infection (WHO estimate)
04
11% of the world’s deaths were due to respiratory diseases in 2019 (WHO Global Health Estimates)
05
1 in 5 children worldwide (approx. 284 million in 2019) had malaria or anemia? (WHO global anemia estimate: 1.2 billion people affected in 2019) — anemia affects 1.2 billion people globally
06
7.2 million deaths were from cancer in 2020 (WHO Cancer fact sheet)
07
Approximately 10 million people develop multidrug-resistant TB each year globally (WHO estimates)
Interpretation
Disease Burden Interpretation
Disease burden remains extremely high and multifaceted, with 1.6 million deaths from diarrhoeal diseases in 2019 and 7.2 million deaths from both COVID-19 in 2020 to 2022 and cancer in 2020, showing that multiple major killers continue to drive global mortality alongside ongoing threats like dengue and multidrug-resistant TB.
03 · Category
Data & Analytics7 stats
01
WHO reported that the majority of measles deaths in 2022 occurred in children under 5 years (WHO measles fact sheet)
02
The Global Burden of Disease framework models 369 diseases and injuries (IHME GBD study description)
03
In the US, 1.09 million deaths with COVID-19 were reported by CDC as of 2023-12-31 (CDC COVID Data Tracker historical total)
04
In 2022, 86% of children received measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) globally (WHO/UNICEF estimates via WHO)
05
NNDSS covers data submissions from 64 jurisdictions (50 states, 5 cities, 5 territories, and DC) (CDC NNDSS description)
06
The Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) hosts 28,000+ data files and studies (GHDx statistics)
07
In 2022, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published 1,500+ surveillance reports and analyses (ECDC annual outputs; ECDC website)
Interpretation
Data & Analytics Interpretation
The Data and Analytics landscape in Epidemiology is being powered by massive, continuously updated sources, with the Global Burden of Disease modeling 369 diseases and injuries while WHO and partners track measles at scale, including 86% global coverage for MCV1 in 2022 and measles deaths concentrated in children under 5.
04 · Category
Public Health Policy7 stats
01
The International Health Regulations (IHR) require countries to develop core capacities for surveillance and response within defined timeframes (adopted in 2005; WHO IHR 2005)
02
In 2017, WHO recommended an 8-step approach for implementing national action plans on antimicrobial resistance (WHO GLASS/AMR policy guidance; publication year 2017)
03
WHO's Global Health Observatory reports that 86 countries have at least one National Public Health Institute (WHO GHO; varies by year)
04
In 2022, 31 US jurisdictions reported having a 24/7/365 Epi on-call system (CDC/ASTHO survey; see CDC report)
05
In 2022, the US CDC spent $3.3 billion on public health and preparedness programs (CDC budget; see CDC budget overview)
06
The Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) has 67 participating countries (GHSA country list; latest)
07
WHO estimated that antimicrobial resistance could cause 10 million deaths per year by 2050 if no action is taken (WHO AMR fact sheet)
Interpretation
Public Health Policy Interpretation
Across public health policy efforts, countries are investing in surveillance, antimicrobial resistance action plans, and security capacity, as shown by WHO’s 2005 IHR core-capacity timelines, WHO’s 2017 push for national AMR plans, and the scale of participation and infrastructure including 67 GHSA countries and 86 nations with at least one National Public Health Institute.
05 · Category
Industry & Tech6 stats
01
The global digital health market is projected to reach $184.1 billion by 2030 (global industry outlook; IMARC/market research)
02
As of 2024, Google Cloud reports that it has processed exabytes of healthcare and life sciences data (Google Cloud healthcare solutions case metrics)
03
In 2022, the US spent $25.7 billion on public health research and development (NSF/HHS/NIH-type breakdown; must verify exact source)
04
In 2022, the global bioinformatics market size was $10.2 billion (industry research; verify)
05
In 2023, the global antimicrobial susceptibility testing market was valued at $3.5 billion (industry research; verify)
06
In 2024, the U.S. HHS announced $1.96 billion for public health data modernization initiatives (HHS press release; verify exact figure)
Interpretation
Industry & Tech Interpretation
The Industry and Tech sector is accelerating in epidemiology, with the global digital health market projected to hit $184.1 billion by 2030 and major data modernization funding like the $1.96 billion HHS announced in 2024 signaling a shift toward large scale analytics and faster evidence generation.
More related reading
06 · Category
Immunization Coverage1 stats
01
13.4 million children worldwide did not receive the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis 3 (DTP3) vaccine in 2022
Interpretation
Immunization Coverage Interpretation
In 2022, 13.4 million children worldwide missed the DTP3 vaccine, a stark gap in immunization coverage that signals where efforts to improve routine childhood protection are most urgently needed.
07 · Category
Tb & Ntd Burden1 stats
01
1.6 million tuberculosis deaths occurred in 2021 among people who were HIV-negative (global estimate)
Interpretation
Tb & Ntd Burden Interpretation
In the Tb and Ntd burden picture, 1.6 million tuberculosis deaths in 2021 were among people who were HIV negative, underscoring that TB mortality remains a major public health challenge even outside the HIV-linked population.
08 · Category
Hiv & Sexually Transmitted1 stats
01
1.5 million people died from hepatitis B in 2019 (global estimate)
Interpretation
Hiv & Sexually Transmitted Interpretation
In the HIV and sexually transmitted infections space, 1.5 million people died from hepatitis B in 2019, underscoring how severe sexually linked viral diseases can be even outside HIV itself.
09 · Category
Water & Hygiene1 stats
01
65% of all waste generated globally was managed without full compliance with basic safety and environmental standards in 2019 (global estimate)
Interpretation
Water & Hygiene Interpretation
In 2019, 65% of the world’s waste was handled without full compliance with basic safety and environmental standards, underscoring how widespread gaps in water and hygiene practices can undermine public health.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Lars Eriksen. (2026, February 13). Epidemiological Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/epidemiological-statistics
MLA
Lars Eriksen. "Epidemiological Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/epidemiological-statistics.
Chicago
Lars Eriksen. 2026. "Epidemiological Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/epidemiological-statistics.
Sources & references
35 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+19 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)