The WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has recently launched an improved All-Cause Mortality and Excess Mortality (ACM/EM) Calculator to support strengthened evidence-based decision-making. The ACM/EM Calculator enables countries to analyze mortality trends, detect unusual patterns and strengthen preparedness for future health emergencies.

First developed in 2022 with the University of California, Los Angeles to assess pandemic-related excess mortality, the tool has now been significantly upgraded. It features multiple statistical models, customizable event periods, subnational analysis and enhanced visualizations. Crucially, the models now include mortality patterns from pre-, mid-, and post-COVID-19 pandemic. As a digital public good, the ACM/EM Calculator ultimately supports the strengthening of country capacity for multi-source surveillance, risk assessment, and policy dialogue while safeguarding national data sovereignty.

Tested and positively reviewed by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, the Japan Institute for Health Security and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the calculator is ready for wider adoption.

For questions or queries, please contact the Health Information and Digital Health unit at wprohii@who.int.