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A wide variety of transmissible diseases are passed from one person to another within countries and around the world, but which of these contagious diseases is the biggest health burden in each country? Using burden of disease estimates from the World Heath Organization's (WHO) Global Health Estimates (GHE), we analyzed 40 different communicable diseases to see which types of disease caused the highest loss of daily adjusted life years (DALYs) in each of the countries around the world. DALYs are a common health metric because they combine the burden of mortality and morbidity to determine the sum of years of healthy life that are lost due to the disease in a country’s population.
The NYRequirements.com team analyzed a wide variety of infectious, parasitic, and respiratory diseases, including HIV/AIDS, STDs, childhood-cluster diseases, hepatitis, intestinal nematode infections, as well as diseases like malaria, dengue, and yellow fever. The respiratory diseases were divided into lower respiratory infections, such as pneumonia or bronchitis, and upper respiratory infections, which can include the common cold, sinusitis, or pharyngitis. Out of the 40 communicable diseases included in our study, only six were found to be the biggest health burden throughout our list of countries: lower respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases, malaria, and measles. Lower respiratory infections were found to be the biggest health burden in a majority of countries. Explore our map to see which countries are the most affected by these six common types of transmissible diseases.
Which Transmissible Disease Is the Biggest Health Burden on the World?
Lower respiratory diseases are the biggest health burden on the world, and out of the many communicable diseases analyzed, they were found to have the highest number of DALYs lost in 131 countries around the world. Nigeria is is the most affected by lower respiratory illnesses, with 16,230 daily adjusted life years lost to these respiratory diseases. The total number of DALYs lost worldwide due to lower respiratory illnesses is 104,622 years of healthy life.
The next most burdensome transmissible disease was found to be HIV/AIDS, which is the biggest health burden in 28 different countries. In total, HIV and AIDS have cost the world’s population more than 40,000 years of healthy life.
Transmissible Diseases That Are the Biggest Health Burdens Around the World
- Lower Respiratory Infections are the biggest health burden in 131 countries.
- HIV/AIDS is the biggest health burden in 28 countries.
- Tuberculosis is the biggest health burden in ten countries.
- Diarrheal diseases are the biggest health burden in five countries.
- Malaria is the biggest health burden in four countries.
- Measles is the biggest health burden in two countries.
How Is the Health Burden of a Disease Measured?
The global burden of disease is calculated using disability adjusted life years (DALY), a commonly used universal health metric that combines mortality and morbidity to determine the number of years of healthy life each population is losing. It includes the potential years of life lost due to early death as well as the years of healthy life that are lost due to being in a state of poor health or disability from the disease. One DALY equals one year of full health per 100,000 people. Comparing the DALYs lost to different common diseases shows which health problems cause the most suffering in each country’s population and is also a helpful metric to use as a way to compare the overall health of countries around the world.
The Countries With the Most DALYs Lost to a Transmissible Disease
Rank | Country | Transmissible Disease | DALYs Lost |
1 |
India |
Tuberculosis |
24,836.1 |
2 |
Nigeria |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
16,230.4 |
3 |
Pakistan |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
5,861.8 |
4 |
Indonesia |
Tuberculosis |
4,985.2 |
5 |
South Africa |
HIV/AIDS |
4,637.9 |
6 |
Democratic Republic of the Congo |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
4,586.6 |
7 |
China |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
4,209.4 |
8 |
Ethiopia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
3,267.5 |
9 |
Mozambique |
HIV/AIDS |
3,163.5 |
10 |
Philippines |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
2,166.6 |
11 |
Brazil |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1,895.0 |
12 |
Bangladesh |
Tuberculosis |
1,853.6 |
13 |
Angola |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1,777.6 |
14 |
Chad |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1,731.4 |
15 |
Tanzania |
HIV/AIDS |
1,693.7 |
16 |
Somalia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1,547.7 |
17 |
Niger |
Malaria |
1,502.3 |
18 |
Kenya |
HIV/AIDS |
1,395.9 |
19 |
Uganda |
HIV/AIDS |
1,379.5 |
20 |
Côte d'Ivoire |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1,364.6 |
21 |
Burkina Faso |
Malaria |
1,305.3 |
22 |
Cameroon |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1,219.4 |
23 |
Zimbabwe |
HIV/AIDS |
1,201.7 |
24 |
Mali |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1,166.6 |
25 |
Zambia |
HIV/AIDS |
1,118.9 |
26 |
Russia |
HIV/AIDS |
1,114.1 |
27 |
Japan |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1,108.5 |
28 |
United States of America |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1,021.7 |
29 |
Egypt |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1,007.0 |
30 |
Myanmar |
Tuberculosis |
1,006.7 |
31 |
Yemen |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
891.5 |
32 |
Sudan |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
887.2 |
33 |
Malawi |
HIV/AIDS |
806.3 |
34 |
Madagascar |
Measles |
800.1 |
35 |
Guinea |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
796.8 |
36 |
Ghana |
HIV/AIDS |
789.6 |
37 |
North Korea |
Tuberculosis |
776.5 |
38 |
Mexico |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
739.1 |
39 |
Vietnam |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
735.6 |
40 |
South Sudan |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
715.5 |
41 |
Thailand |
HIV/AIDS |
715.2 |
42 |
Nepal |
Tuberculosis |
689.1 |
43 |
Argentina |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
641.6 |
44 |
Benin |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
635.8 |
45 |
Sierra Leone |
Malaria |
614.1 |
46 |
Malaysia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
507.4 |
47 |
Burundi |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
495.7 |
48 |
United Kingdom |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
481.3 |
49 |
Iran |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
438.7 |
50 |
Togo |
Malaria |
430.3 |
51 |
Senegal |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
406.6 |
52 |
Haiti |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
406.1 |
53 |
Iraq |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
402.0 |
54 |
Venezuela |
HIV/AIDS |
340.0 |
55 |
Peru |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
329.6 |
56 |
South Korea |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
328.0 |
57 |
Guatemala |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
325.1 |
58 |
Central African Republic |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
318.9 |
59 |
Poland |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
313.8 |
60 |
Algeria |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
309.9 |
61 |
Cambodia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
303.8 |
62 |
Ukraine |
HIV/AIDS |
301.8 |
63 |
Lesotho |
HIV/AIDS |
295.6 |
64 |
Germany |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
284.7 |
65 |
Morocco |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
276.7 |
66 |
Botswana |
HIV/AIDS |
275.4 |
67 |
Rwanda |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
270.9 |
68 |
Congo |
HIV/AIDS |
266.4 |
69 |
Turkey |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
263.9 |
70 |
Colombia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
263.4 |
71 |
Uzbekistan |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
253.8 |
72 |
Papua New Guinea |
Tuberculosis |
251.9 |
73 |
Liberia |
Measles |
223.8 |
74 |
Romania |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
222.2 |
75 |
Tajikistan |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
213.2 |
76 |
Syria |
Diarrheal diseases |
212.0 |
77 |
France |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
210.4 |
78 |
Saudi Arabia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
205.4 |
79 |
Bolivia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
192.3 |
80 |
Namibia |
HIV/AIDS |
174.2 |
81 |
Italy |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
171.7 |
82 |
Mauritania |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
171.6 |
83 |
Turkmenistan |
HIV/AIDS |
152.2 |
84 |
Spain |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
151.6 |
85 |
Laos |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
143.4 |
86 |
Eswatini |
HIV/AIDS |
143.1 |
87 |
Ecuador |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
133.1 |
88 |
Cuba |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
130.6 |
89 |
Kazakhstan |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
128.5 |
90 |
Eritrea |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
125.8 |
91 |
Sri Lanka |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
114.6 |
92 |
Equatorial Guinea |
HIV/AIDS |
113.2 |
93 |
Canada |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
97.1 |
94 |
Dominican Republic |
HIV/AIDS |
97.0 |
95 |
Gabon |
Tuberculosis |
91.9 |
96 |
Greece |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
84.3 |
97 |
Guinea-Bissau |
HIV/AIDS |
84.1 |
98 |
Azerbaijan |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
80.6 |
99 |
Portugal |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
78.8 |
100 |
Singapore |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
74.8 |
101 |
Gambia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
72.3 |
102 |
Czechia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
65.0 |
103 |
Belgium |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
62.9 |
104 |
Chile |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
58.7 |
105 |
Netherlands |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
56.3 |
106 |
Honduras |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
54.4 |
107 |
Australia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
53.2 |
108 |
El Salvador |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
52.6 |
109 |
Tunisia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
52.6 |
110 |
Paraguay |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
52.2 |
111 |
Timor-Leste |
Tuberculosis |
50.3 |
112 |
Nicaragua |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
47.5 |
113 |
Kyrgyzstan |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
47.4 |
114 |
Jordan |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
44.2 |
115 |
Libya |
Tuberculosis |
42.5 |
116 |
Moldova |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
40.4 |
117 |
Comoros |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
37.4 |
118 |
Slovakia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
36.7 |
119 |
Jamaica |
HIV/AIDS |
35.9 |
120 |
Serbia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
35.9 |
121 |
Bulgaria |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
33.8 |
122 |
Panama |
HIV/AIDS |
32.9 |
123 |
Djibouti |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
30.5 |
124 |
Sweden |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
30.3 |
125 |
Belarus |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
28.4 |
126 |
Hungary |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
27.5 |
127 |
Denmark |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
25.5 |
128 |
Mongolia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
23.7 |
129 |
Armenia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
23.2 |
130 |
United Arab Emirates |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
22.5 |
131 |
Oman |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
22.4 |
132 |
Georgia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
22.2 |
133 |
Lebanon |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
21.1 |
134 |
Switzerland |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
21.0 |
135 |
Austria |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
19.3 |
136 |
Israel |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
19.3 |
137 |
Uruguay |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
19.2 |
138 |
Costa Rica |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
18.6 |
139 |
Norway |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
18.3 |
140 |
Ireland |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
14.6 |
141 |
Solomon Islands |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
14.5 |
142 |
Lithuania |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
13.9 |
143 |
Guyana |
HIV/AIDS |
13.5 |
144 |
Croatia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
13.4 |
145 |
New Zealand |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
11.5 |
146 |
Fiji |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
11.3 |
147 |
Kuwait |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
10.8 |
148 |
Latvia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
10.7 |
149 |
Albania |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
10.0 |
150 |
Trinidad and Tobago |
HIV/AIDS |
9.6 |
151 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
8.3 |
152 |
Mauritius |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
8.1 |
153 |
Bhutan |
Diarrheal diseases |
7.6 |
154 |
Bahamas |
HIV/AIDS |
6.9 |
155 |
Suriname |
HIV/AIDS |
6.8 |
156 |
Vanuatu |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
6.6 |
157 |
Finland |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
6.5 |
158 |
Belize |
HIV/AIDS |
6.4 |
159 |
Cabo Verde |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
6.1 |
160 |
Estonia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
5.9 |
161 |
Sao Tome and Principe |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
4.9 |
162 |
Slovenia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
4.3 |
163 |
North Macedonia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
4.2 |
164 |
Qatar |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
3.5 |
165 |
Kiribati |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
3.3 |
166 |
Bahrain |
Diarrheal diseases |
2.9 |
167 |
Barbados |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
2.8 |
168 |
Micronesia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
2.6 |
169 |
Malta |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
2.3 |
170 |
Samoa |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1.9 |
171 |
Brunei |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1.7 |
172 |
Seychelles |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1.7 |
173 |
Montenegro |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1.6 |
174 |
Cyprus |
Diarrheal diseases |
1.5 |
175 |
Saint Lucia |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1.4 |
176 |
Luxembourg |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1.3 |
177 |
Maldives |
Diarrheal diseases |
1.1 |
178 |
Tonga |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
1.0 |
179 |
Grenada |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
0.9 |
180 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
0.9 |
181 |
Iceland |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
0.8 |
182 |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Lower Respiratory Infections |
0.4 |
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