Health and Wellness Blog

Good news! Most health statistics are available online for free. The best sources are health/medical professional organizations and Government agency websites. Here are a few popular ones:

Canadian health statistics

If you are looking for information on certain diseases or conditions the speediest way to go is to the professional organization's websites:

• Allergy/Asthma Information Association: Statistics (Asthma, Food Allergy, and Allergic Rhinitis)
• Asthma Society of Canada: Asthma Action Study, Asthma at school, Asthma Facts and Statistics
• Autism Society of Canada: Prevalence
• Canadian Cancer Society: Cancer Statistics
• Canadian Diabetes Association: The prevalence and costs of diabetes
• Canadian Lung Association: Statistics
• Canadian Mental Health Association: Mental Health Statistics
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board: Health and safety statistics
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada: Statistics

For other topics or greater details visit the following websites:

• Statistics Canada: Health
• Public Health Agency of Canada: Surveillance
• City of Toronto:  Communicable Disease Surveillance: Statistics and Reports

American health statistics

American information is easier to find than Canadian one. The best way to find a particular disease or condition's statistical information is to go to MedlinePlus, choose your topic from Health Topics (either from List of All Topics, or Body Location/System, or Disorders and Conditions, or Demographic Groups), then under this particular disease or condition you will find its statistical information. 

Example:  after you choose  cancer, you will find "Statistics" under Reference Shelf (MedlinePlus organizes each disease/condition under 6 categories: Basics, Learn More, Multimedia & Cool Tools, Research, Reference Shelf, and For You). For cancer, it includes 6 links from different Government agencies (Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute) and the American Cancer Society which is a professional organization.

You can also start with MedlinePlus' Health Statistics, or go directly to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Data & Statistics.

International health statistics

• WHO: Data and statistics
• UNICEF: Childinfo: Statistics
• European Commission: Eurostat: Health
• Office for National Statistics (UK): Health
• Cancer Research UK: CancerStats
• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW): Australia's national agency for health and welfare statistics and information
• New Zealand Health Information Service: Health Statistics