About the data
About the Diseases Map
The Diseases Map is an independent atlas that puts centuries of disease records on a single interactive world map.
Why a map of disease history?
The places where diseases occur have changed dramatically. Plague once recurred across Europe for four centuries. Polio has retreated to a few countries, while dengue now reaches more of the world than ever. Seeing those changes on one map makes them easier to understand than tables alone.
Principles
Show evidence as published. Keep different measures separate: a historical mention is not a case count. Never fill missing years or estimate unreported infections. Draw no transmission routes the evidence cannot support. Link every figure to its original source.
Languages
The map is available in English, Spanish, German and French. Stories and guides are available in English and Spanish.
Sources
The data comes from WHO, Our World in Data, OpenDengue, EnviDat and peer-reviewed research. See data and methods for details, and read the stories about how the map changed.