The chronic diseases that Merck researches are highly aligned with major global burdens of illness that not only rank highly in the World Health Organization (WHO) list of disease burdens of developed countries, but that are also projected to become very prevalent in the developing world and middle income markets by 2030. Our research into vaccines and infectious diseases addresses major burdens of illness that are prevalent in all countries but our preventative treatments could have the greatest immediate impact in the developing world, where health care infrastructure is currently most lacking.
Considering Merck's pipeline and the list of products we currently market, we estimate that Merck addresses 53 percent of the top 20 global burdens of illness as defined by the WHO.1
| Disease, condition or injury |
Leading Causes of Mortality: 2004 Rank** |
Leading Causes of Mortality: Projected 2030 Rank** |
Leading Causes of §DALYs: 2004 Rank*** |
Leading Causes of DALYs: Projected 2030 Rank**** |
|
Ischemic heart disease
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
2
|
|
Cerebrovascular disease
|
2
|
2
|
6
|
4
|
|
Lower respiratory infections
|
3
|
4
|
1
|
6
|
|
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
|
4
|
3
|
13
|
5
|
|
Diarrheal diseases
|
5
|
20
|
2
|
18
|
|
HIV and AIDS
|
6
|
10
|
5
|
9
|
|
Tuberculosis
|
7
|
22
|
11
|
N/A
|
|
Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers
|
8
|
5
|
N/A
|
19
|
|
Road traffic accidents
|
9
|
7
|
9
|
3
|
|
Prematurity and low birth weight
|
10
|
23
|
7
|
12
|
|
Neonatal infections
|
11
|
20
|
10
|
11
|
|
Diabetes mellitus
|
12
|
6
|
19
|
10
|
|
Hypertensive heart disease
|
13
|
8
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
Malaria
|
14
|
N/A
|
12
|
N/A
|
|
Birth asphyxia and birth trauma
|
15
|
N/A
|
8
|
15
|
|
Unipolar depressive disorder
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
3
|
1
|
|
Refractive errors
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
14
|
8
|
|
Hearing loss, adult onset
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
15
|
7
|
1 World Health Organization. The global burden of disease: 2004 update. WHO Press, Geneva, 2008.
§ DALYs: Disease-adjusted life years – a metric of the impact of disease or disability
* Statistics From Report – Regional Estimates of YLL, YLD and DALY's Deaths, Incidence and Prevalence for 2004: Deaths, WHO regions
** Statistics From Report – Regional Projections of Deaths and DALY's for 2008, 2015 and 2030. Mortality – Baseline Scenario, 2030, WHO regions
*** Statistics From Report – Regional Estimates of YLL, YLD and DALY's Deaths, Incidence and Prevalence for 2004: Standard DALYs, WHO regions
****Statistics From Report – Regional Projections of Deaths and DALY's for 2008, 2015 and 2030. Standard DALY's – Baseline Scenario, 2030, WHO regions
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