Infographics

Child deaths cut nearly in half since 1990, maternal deaths by almost a quarter. Pace accelerated after Millennium Development Goals were set, yet few countries on track to meet ambitious targets.

Globally, smoking prevalence — the percentage of the population that smokes every day — has decreased, but the number of cigarette smokers worldwide has increased due to population growth.

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Globally, no matter how old a person is, life expectancy is increasing. Life expectancy at birth increased 10.7 years for males and 12.6 years for females from 1970 to 2010. That's because mortality is decreasing in every age bracket, although it is decreasing more slowly among young adults.

IHME's county-by-county estimates of life expectancy released in April 2012 show that women’s lifespans are improving at a much slower pace than men's nationwide.

IHME's policy report The Challenge Ahead: Progress and Setbacks in Breast and Cervical Cancer, published in 2011, shows the number of cases and deaths from breast and cervical cancer are rising in most countries, especially in the developing world, where more women are dying at younger ages.

IHME's policy report Building Momentum: Global Progress Toward Reducing Maternal and Child Mortality shows that since 1990, the annualized rate of decline in the maternal mortality ratio has been 1.3%, but rates of change in the maternal mortality ratio vary widely across countries.

In 2008, nearly 80% of all maternal deaths occurred in just 21 countries, and half of all maternal deaths were concentrated in six countries.