TERM |
DEFINITION |
| Adolescent Fertility Rate |
The number of live births among girls ages 15–19 divided by the number of girls in that age group. It is expressed per 1,000 population. |
AIDS
|
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A person who tests positive for HIV can be diagnosed with AIDS when a laboratory test shows that his or her immune system is severely weakened by the virus or when he or she develops at least one of about 25 different opportunistic infections -- diseases that might not affect a person with a normal immune system but that take advantage of damaged immune systems. |
| Antiretroviral (ARV) Drugs |
Drugs that inhibit the replication of HIV. When antiretroviral drugs are given in combination, HIV replication and immune deterioration can be delayed, and survival and quality of life improved. |
| Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) |
Consists of the use of at least three antiretroviral drugs to maximally suppress HIV, the virus, and stop or slow the progression of HIV disease. |
Avian Flu |
Avian influenza, or "bird flu" is an infectious disease of animals (usually birds, and less commonly pigs) caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. Transmission to humans is rare, but there is recent cause for concern. In mid-2003, the largest and most severe avian flu outbreak in history began in South-east Asia, caused by a sub-type of the virus called H5N1 and resulting in widespread transmission to poultry and some documented transmission to humans. Transmission of H5N1 to humans is of particular concern because it mutates rapidly and may therefore change into a form that is highly infectious for humans and more easily spread. In addition, unlike normal seasonal influenza, H5N1 can cause severe disease in humans. |
| Birth Rate |
The average annual number of births during a year divided by the population at midyear. It is expressed per 1,000 population. |
Child orphaned by AIDS (also: AIDS orphan) |
Any child under the age of 18 who has lost one or both parents due to AIDS (not including children who are estimated to have already died from AIDS or other causes) |
| Community Health Workers |
Includes traditional medicine practitioners, faith healers, assistant/community health education workers, community health officers, family health workers, lady health visitors, health extension package workers, community midwives, institution-based personal care workers and traditional birth attendants. |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate |
The percentage of women of reproductive age who are using (or whose partner is using) a contraceptive method at a given point in time. It is usually measured for married women or women living with a partner aged 15–49. |
| Death Rate |
The average annual number of deaths during a year divided by the population at midyear (also known as crude death rate). It is expressed per 1,000 population. |
| Dependency Ratio |
The ratio of dependents (people younger than age 15 or older than age 64) to the working-age population (people between the ages of 15–64). |
DOTS |
Directly observed treatment, short-course, the internationally recommended strategy to control TB. |
DOTS Detection Rate for Smear Positives |
The ratio of annual new smear-positive notifications under DOTS to estimated annual new smear-positive incidence in the country/area. |
DOTS Population Coverage |
The percentage of the population living in geographical areas nominally serviced by health facilities that are implementing DOTS. |
| DOTS Treatment Success |
The percentage of new smear-positive patients that are cured (negative on sputum smear examination), plus the percentage that complete a course of treatment, without bacteriological confirmation of cure. |
DTP3 |
Third dose of diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid and pertussis vaccine. Coverage with three doses of DTP vaccine is generally used as a proxy for a fully immunized child. DTP coverage is also an indicator of health system performance. |
Endemic |
Having a constant measurable incidence both of cases and of natural transmission in an area over a succession of years. |
Epidemic |
The occurrence of more cases of disease than expected in a given area or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time. |
| External Debt |
Debt owed to nonresidents repayable in foreign currency, goods, or services. It is the sum of public, publicly guaranteed, and private nonguaranteed long-term debt, use of International Monetary Fund credit, and short-term debt. Short-term debt includes all debt having an original maturity of one year or less and interest in arrears on long-term debt. |
| External Resources for Health |
Includes all grants and loans whether passing through governments or private entities for health goods and services, in cash or in kind. |
| General Government Expenditure |
Includes consolidated direct outlays and indirect outlays (e.g., subsidies to producers, transfers to households), including capital of all levels of government, social security institutions, autonomous bodies, and other extrabudgetary funds. |
| General Government Expenditure on Health |
The sum of outlays by government entities to purchase health care services and goods. |
| Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) |
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is an independent, public-private partnership, formally launched in 2001. Its primary objectives are to raise new resources to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria by issuing grants to countries with the greatest need, in support of prevention, care, and treatment programs. |
| Gross Domestic Product (GDP) |
The value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. |
| Health Expenditure Per Capita |
The sum of public and private health expenditure (in PPP US$) divided by population. Health expenditure includes the provision of health services, family planning activities, nutrition activities and emergency aid designated for heath, but excludes the provision of water and sanitation. |
| Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative |
In 1996, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) launched the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative, which created a framework for all creditors, including multilateral creditors, to provide debt relief to the world's poorest and most heavily indebted countries, and thereby reduce the constraint on economic growth and poverty reduction imposed by the debt build-up in these countries. To be eligible for the HIPC Debt Initiative, countries are assessed according to a series of criteria related to their debt situation, their track record of reform, and the development of poverty reduction strategies. |
HIV |
Human immunodeficiency virus, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV destroys certain white blood cells called CD4+ T cells. These cells are critical to the normal function of the human immune system, which defends the body against illness. When HIV weakens the immune system, a person is more susceptible to developing a variety of cancers and becoming infected with viruses, bacteria and parasites. |
HIV/AIDS Prevalence |
Number of people estimated to be living with HIV, at any disease stage, including AIDS |
HIV/AIDS Prevalence Rate |
Percent of people estimated to be living with HIV, at any disease stage, including AIDS. Usually presented as percent of adult population (ages 15-49) estimated to be HIV positive. When actual surveillance data are not available, the prevalence rate is usually estimated based on HIV prevalence among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics. |
| Hospital Beds |
Includes inpatient and maternity beds (excludes cots and delivery beds). |
| Household Size |
The average number of people within a household. It is calculated by dividing the total population by the number of households in the country and in urban areas. |
Incidence |
The number of new events, such as new cases of a disease, occurring over a specific period of time. It is often expressed as a rate, for example the number of cases per 100,000 population. |
| Infant Mortality Rate |
The number of infant deaths in a given year divided by the number of live births in the same year. It is expressed per 1,000 live births. Infants are defined as less than one year of age. |
| Life Expectancy at Birth |
The average number of years that a newborn is expected to live if current mortality rates continue to apply. |
| Low Birthweight Babies |
Newborns weighing less than 2,500 grams, with the measurement taken within the first hours of life, before significant postnatal weight loss has occurred. |
Malaria
|
A life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes. |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio |
The annual number of deaths of women from pregnancy-related causes per 100,000 live births. |
| Median Age |
The age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. |
| Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) |
A United States initiative to provide development assistance to eligible countries. First proposed in 2002, and established in FY 2004, it is designed to link contributions for development assistance to greater responsibility from developing nations. The MCA is administered by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). To be eligible to apply for funds, countries are assessed according to a series of criteria and then reviewed by the MCC Board for final eligibility selection. Countries must be those that are determined to "rule justly, invest in their people, and encourage economic freedom." |
| Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) |
Administers the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), a United States government initiative which provides development assistance to eligible countries. The MCC is a government corporation with a Board of Directors, and is chaired by the Secretary of State. |
| Out-of-Pocket Expenditure on Health |
The direct outlays of households, including gratuities and in-kind payments made to health practitioners and to suppliers of pharmaceuticals, therapeutic appliances and other goods and services. This includes household direct payments to public and private providers of health care services, non-profit institutions, and non-reimbursable cost sharing, such as deductibles, copayments and fees for services. |
| Population Below $1 a Day |
The percentage of the population living on less than $1.08 a day at 1993 international prices. The commonly used $1 a day standard, measured in 1985 international prices and adjusted to local currency using purchasing power parities (PPPs), was chosen for the World Bank’s World Development Report 1990: Poverty because it is typical of the poverty lines in low-income countries. |
| Population Growth Rate |
The average annual percent change in the population resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or negative. |
| Population With Sustainable Access to Improved Sanitation |
The percentage of the population with access to adequate excreta disposal facilities, such as a connection to a sewer or septic tank system, a pour-flush latrine, a simple pit latrine or a ventilated improved pit latrine. An excreta disposal system is considered adequate if it is private or shared (but not public) and if it can effectively prevent human, animal and insect contact with excreta. |
| Population Without Sustainable Access to an Improved Water Source |
The percentage of the population without sustainable access to an improved water source (household connections, public standpipes, boreholes, protected dug wells, protected springs and rainwater collection). Unimproved sources include vendors, bottled water, tanker trucks, and unprotected wells and springs. |
| President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) |
The U.S. government's five-year global initiative to address HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in developing countries. PEPFAR targets significant funding to 15 focus countries, as well as bilateral aid to about 100 other countries. It also includes funding for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. PEPFAR was authorized by the U.S. Congress under the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (Public Law No: 108–25). The current authorization spans FY 2004 to FY 2008. The 15 PEPFAR focus countries are among those most affected by HIV/AIDS. |
Prevalence |
The number or proportion of events, such as cases of a disease, within a population at a specific point in time, e.g., the proportion of a population living with a disease. |
| Prevalence of Child Malnutrition |
The percentage of children under age five whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0–59 months. The reference population, adopted by the WHO in 1983, is based on children from the United States, who are assumed to be well nourished. |
| Private Expenditure on Health |
The sum of expenditures on health by prepaid plans and risk-pooling arrangements, firms' expenditure on health, non-profit institutions serving mainly households, and household out-of-pocket spending. |
| Purchasing power parity (PPP) |
A comparison of economies based on standardized international dollar price weights, rather than official currency exchange rates. |
| Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) |
A viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus, SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). SARSCoV is believed to be an animal virus that crossed the species barrier to humans recently when ecological changes or changes in human behaviour increased opportunities for human exposure to the virus and virus adaptation, enabling human-to-human transmission. It is believed to be transmitted by close person-to-person contact (defined as having cared for or lived with a person known to have SARS or having a high likelihood of direct contact with respiratory secretions and/or body fluids of a patient known to have SARS). |
| Skilled Birth Attendant |
An accredited health professional – such as a midwife, doctor or nurse – who has been educated and trained to proficiency in the skills needed to manage normal (uncomplicated) pregnancies, childbirth and the immediate postnatal period, and in the identification, management and referral of complications in women and newborns. Traditional birth attendants, trained or not, are excluded from the category of skilled attendant at delivery. |
Smear Positive Case |
In the context of TB diagnosis, at least two initial sputum smear examinations (direct smear microscopy) AFB+; or one sputum examination AFB+ and radiographic abnormalities consistent with active pulmonary tuberculosis as determined by a clinician; or one sputum specimen AFB+ and culture positive for M. tuberculosis. |
| Smoking Prevalence |
The percentage of people who smoke cigarettes. |
| Social Security Expenditure on Health |
Includes outlays for purchases of health goods and services by schemes that are mandatory and controlled by government. Such social security schemes that apply only to a selected group of the population, such as public sector employees only, are also included. |
| Total Expenditure on Health |
The sum of general government health expenditures and private health expenditures in a given year, calculated in national currency units in current prices. |
| Total Fertility Rate |
The average number of children that would be born per woman if all women lived to the end of their childbearing years and bore children according to a given fertility rate at each age. The total fertility rate is a more direct measure of the level of fertility than the birth rate, since it refers to births per woman. This indicator shows the potential for population change in a country. A rate of two children per woman is considered the replacement rate for a population, resulting in relative stability in terms of total population numbers. Rates above two children per woman indicate populations growing in size and whose median age is declining. Rates below two children per woman indicate populations decreasing in size and growing older. |
Tuberculosis (TB)
|
A disease caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis |
UNAIDS/Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
|
The main advocate for accelerated, comprehensive and coordinated global action on the epidemic. UNAIDS' mission is to lead, strengthen and support an expanded response to HIV and AIDS that includes preventing transmission of HIV, providing care and support to those already living with the virus, reducing the vulnerability of individuals and communities to HIV and alleviating the impact of the epidemic. It brings together the efforts and resources of ten UN system co-sponsors. |
| Under-Five Mortality Rate |
The probability of a child born in a specific year or period dying before reaching the age of five, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of that period. It is expressed per 1,000 live births. |
| Undernourished Population |
Individuals whose food intake is chronically insufficient to meet their minimum energy requirements. |
| Urban Population |
Percentage of the total population living in areas termed "urban" by that country. Typically, the population living in towns of 2,000 or more or in national and provincial capitals is classified "urban." |
WHO/ World Health Organization
|
The United Nations specialized agency for health. WHO's objective, as set out in its Constitution, is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health is defined in WHO's Constitution as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. WHO is governed by 192 Member States through the World Health Assembly |
| Yellow Fever (YF) |
A viral haemorrhagic fever transmitted by infected mosquitoes. The disease is caused by the yellow fever virus, which belongs to the flavivirus group. Infection causes a wide spectrum of disease, from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. The "yellow" in the name is explained by the jaundice that affects some patients. An effective vaccine for yellow fever has been available for several decades, but the number of people infected has increased in recent years. |
