EXPLORE THE WORLD

The world is full of stories. Data helps us discover them.

Around the world, people and communities experience different health, social, economic and environmental conditions. Data helps us see those differences — and maps help us see where they happen.

Begin Exploring Explore a Map
YOUR GLOBAL HEALTH JOURNEY
Self → Family & Peers → Community → Country → World
✦
GHE PRINCIPLE

Every difference matters. Explore it.

A global average can help us see the big picture, but averages can also hide important differences between people, places and circumstances.

WHY EXPLORE THE WORLD?

The world is not one average.

Countries differ. Communities differ. People live in different environments, have different opportunities and face different risks. Global health data help us recognize these patterns and ask better questions.

01

Countries differ

Health indicators can vary substantially between countries and regions.

02

Communities differ

National averages can hide differences within the same country.

03

Data reveal patterns

Indicators allow us to measure differences across places, populations and time.

04

Context matters

A number becomes meaningful when we understand its definition, population, place, time and source.

FROM DATA TO DISCOVERY

Follow the evidence.

Global health exploration is not simply looking at numbers. It is a process of turning evidence into questions and questions into understanding.

01 DATA
→
02 INDICATOR
→
03 INFORMATION
→
04 MAP
→
05 QUESTION
→
06 DISCOVERY
THE GHE EXPLORER JOURNEY

Six ways to think like a global health explorer.

01

FIND

Locate a trustworthy indicator or dataset.

02

UNDERSTAND

Learn what the indicator actually measures.

03

COMPARE

Look across places, populations or time.

04

QUESTION

Ask what the pattern means — and what it does not mean.

05

CONNECT

Connect health patterns with social, economic and environmental conditions.

06

DISCOVER

Develop a deeper understanding and identify possibilities for responsible action.

EXPLORE BY THEME

Ten windows into the world.

Explore one topic at a time — then connect the evidence across topics to see the bigger picture.

01 ◉

Population & Demography

Who lives where, how populations change, and why demographic structure matters.

Explore → 02 ♥

Health & Wellbeing

Discover how health outcomes vary across populations and places.

Explore → 03 ◒

Children & Malnutrition

Explore stunting, wasting, overweight, nutrition and childhood health.

Explore → 04 ▣

Education

Understand education as both a determinant of health and a foundation for opportunity.

Explore → 05 ≈

Water & Environment

Explore water, sanitation, pollution, environmental exposure and health.

Explore → 06 ☼

Climate

Investigate how climate change affects health, communities and systems.

Explore → 07 ◇

Poverty

Examine economic conditions and their connections with health opportunities.

Explore → 08 ↗

Migration

Explore mobility, displacement, migration and changing health needs.

Explore → 09 +

Health Systems

Understand how health systems organize resources, services and care.

Explore → 10 ∞

Sustainable Development

Connect health with the Sustainable Development Goals and global action.

Explore →
THE GHE DATA RULE

“A number is not the answer. It is the beginning of a question.”

Before trusting or comparing a number, understand what it represents.

BEFORE YOU TRUST A NUMBER

Understand the indicator.

The same-looking number can mean very different things depending on how it was defined and measured.

01 Indicator

What exactly is being measured?

02 Definition

How is the indicator defined?

03 Numerator / Denominator

What is being counted and compared?

04 Population

Who is included?

05 Place

Where was the measure taken?

06 Time

Which year or period does it represent?

07 Source

Who produced the estimate or measurement?

08 Uncertainty

How certain is the estimate?

09 Context

What might help explain the pattern?

FROM DATA TO MAPS

Geography can make patterns visible.

Maps help us see where differences occur. But a map can show a pattern without automatically explaining why that pattern exists.

01

What does a map add?

A table gives us values. A map adds geography. Together, they can reveal patterns that may be difficult to see from individual numbers alone.

TABLE Gives values
MAP Shows geography
PATTERN Reveals differences
02

Before interpreting a map, ask.

  1. What? What indicator is being mapped?
  2. Who? Which population is represented?
  3. When? Which year or period?
  4. How? Is the measure observed, estimated or modelled?
  5. How certain? What uncertainty surrounds the estimate?
TABLE → MAP → PATTERN → QUESTION
01

Table

Indicator, definition, unit, population, year and source.

02

Map

Look for geographic differences, gradients or concentrations.

03

Pattern

Describe what is higher, lower, clustered or changing.

04

Question

What might explain the pattern? What evidence is missing?

EXPLORE REAL DATA

Trusted data gateways

GHE does not replace authoritative data systems. We help young people learn how to use them thoughtfully.

WHO

Global Health Observatory

Explore global health statistics, indicators and data resources.

Explore WHO GHO ↗ WHO

Health Inequality Monitor

Explore differences in health outcomes across population groups.

Explore inequalities ↗ UNICEF

UNICEF Data

Explore data about children, adolescents and families.

Explore UNICEF Data ↗ IHME

Global Health Data

Explore estimates and analyses from the Global Burden of Disease work.

Explore IHME ↗ WORLD BANK

World Bank Data

Explore development, economic, demographic and social indicators.

Explore World Bank ↗ OWID

Our World in Data

Explore global trends through research-based visualizations.

Explore OWID ↗
MAP LITERACY

Geography reveals differences. It does not automatically explain them.

A visible geographic pattern is a starting point, not a conclusion.

A map can help us see

  • Geographic distribution
  • Differences between places
  • Clusters and gradients
  • Regional patterns
  • Changes over time

We still need to explore

  • Definitions and methods
  • Population composition
  • Data quality and uncertainty
  • Social determinants of health
  • Environment and climate
  • Health systems
  • Historical and social context
THINK ACROSS SCALES

From the world to people.

Global health patterns can look different depending on the scale we choose.

01 WORLD Global pattern
02 COUNTRY National pattern
03 REGION Subnational pattern
04 COMMUNITY Local context
05 PEOPLE Lived experience
Ask at every scale: Who is included? What is different? What might explain the difference? What evidence do we need next?
EXPLORE DIFFERENCES

A global average can hide important differences.

Health inequalities can appear between countries, within countries, and among different population groups. GHE encourages learners to measure differences carefully before trying to explain them.

Age Do different age groups experience different outcomes?
Place Does where people live matter?
Education How might educational opportunity be associated with health?
Economic status How might material conditions shape health opportunities?
Sex Do measured outcomes differ between population groups?
Subnational region Can national averages hide local differences?
GHE INEQUALITY INQUIRY

Six questions before reaching a conclusion.

01

Find the difference

What does the data show?

02

Measure the inequality

How large is the difference?

03

See the pattern

Where, among whom and when does it occur?

04

Explore determinants

What factors might be associated with the pattern?

05

Question the evidence

What do we know — and what do we not know?

06

Explore the difference

Could it be unfair, avoidable or remediable? What additional evidence is needed?

DATA DETECTIVE

“Country A has twice the rate of Country B.”

Sounds important. But before drawing a conclusion, investigate the claim.

01

What rate?

02

Which year?

03

Which population?

04

What denominator?

05

Who produced the estimate?

06

Observed or estimated?

07

Are the countries comparable?

CONNECT THE EVIDENCE

Health does not happen in isolation.

When we see a difference in health, we can explore the social, economic, environmental and health-system conditions that may be associated with it.

01

Education

Learning opportunities, literacy and educational attainment can shape health opportunities.

02

Economic conditions

Income, employment and material resources influence living conditions.

03

Living environment

Housing, sanitation, water and neighbourhood conditions can influence health.

04

Health systems

Availability, accessibility, quality and affordability of care matter.

05

Social conditions

Social relationships, discrimination, participation and power can shape opportunity.

06

Environment & climate

Environmental exposures and climate conditions can influence risks and resilience.

CONNECT TO THE SDGs

Global health is connected to sustainable development.

The Sustainable Development Goals provide a framework for understanding how health connects with poverty, education, gender, water, climate, cities, inequality, institutions and global partnerships.

GHE learners are encouraged to ask: Which Sustainable Development Goals are connected to the pattern I am seeing?

Explore Sustainable Development
SDG 1 No Poverty
SDG 2 Zero Hunger
SDG 3 Good Health & Well-being
SDG 4 Quality Education
SDG 6 Clean Water & Sanitation
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
SDG 13 Climate Action
SDG 17 Partnerships
SOURCE LITERACY

Not every data source answers the same question.

Official statistics, research estimates, analytical databases and educational visualizations can all be useful — but they are not interchangeable.

Official statistics

Produced by governments or international organizations using defined statistical systems.

Research estimates

Estimates generated through research methods, modelling or synthesis of multiple sources.

Analytical platforms

Systems that organize, visualize or analyze data from multiple sources.

Educational visualizations

Tools designed to help learners see and understand patterns in evidence.

Important: Some numbers are observed. Others are estimated. A useful explorer checks the method, source, definition and uncertainty before interpreting a result.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Test your global health explorer skills.

Try these questions before moving to the next topic.

Q1. What is the main purpose of a health indicator?
To measure a defined aspect of health or a factor related to health in a population.
Q2. Why can a global average hide important information?
Because people, communities and countries can have very different experiences even when their average values appear similar.
Q3. What does a map add to a table of data?
Geography. A map can make spatial patterns, differences and concentrations easier to see.
Q4. Does a geographic pattern automatically explain its cause?
No. A geographic pattern is evidence of a difference in distribution, not proof of why the difference exists.
Q5. Why should you check the year of an indicator?
Because conditions can change over time, and comparing values from different years may produce a misleading conclusion.
Q6. What does “population” tell you about an indicator?
It tells you who is included in the measurement, such as a particular age group, sex or population.
Q7. Why is the denominator important?
It defines the population or amount against which the numerator is compared and therefore affects the meaning of a rate or proportion.
Q8. What is one difference between an observed value and an estimate?
An observed value comes directly from measurement or reporting, while an estimate may be produced using statistical or modelling methods.
Q9. Name one social determinant of health.
Examples include education, economic conditions, housing, social conditions, working conditions and access to resources.
Q10. Why should health differences be investigated before being judged?
Because differences may have multiple explanations, and careful evidence is needed before deciding whether a difference is unfair, avoidable or remediable.
Q11. What is the GHE Data Rule?
“A number is not the answer. It is the beginning of a question.”
Q12. What should you do after discovering an interesting pattern?
Ask a better question. Check the definition, source, population, time, uncertainty and context, then explore what additional evidence could help explain the pattern.
REFLECT

What does the world look like through data?

Choose one indicator. Compare two places. Then ask what you would need to know before explaining the difference.

What do I see? What do I wonder? What evidence do I need? What could I explore next?
KEEP EXPLORING

Every difference matters. Explore it.

Choose a topic and continue your journey from global patterns to deeper questions.

Start with Population & Demography Explore Sustainable Development