Event list
Experimental estimates · v0.2Event estimates
Historical snapshots of selected experiences, estimated with one common formula. These are starting estimates with explicit coverage, not complete event totals.
Event list
We’re actively adding events and broadening the types of suffering covered.
7 events sorted by estimated USU, highest first.
| Event / included experience | Category | Period / coverage | Estimated USU | Reported deaths | Population modeled | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan floodsInitial displacement distress | Natural disaster | 7 Oct 2022 · population snapshot | 240.8 million | At least 1,700Whole flood event, as reported 7 Oct | About 7.9 milliondisplaced people | Report |
| Brazil dengueAcute dengue symptoms | Disease outbreak | 2024 · weeks 1–23 | 59.9 million | 3,643Same reporting period | 7.87 millionreported cases | Report |
| Rio Grande do Sul floodsInitial displacement distress | Natural disaster | 24 May 2024 · cohort snapshot | 17.7 million | 163Whole flood event, as of 24 May | About 580,000displaced people | Report |
| Peru dengueAcute dengue symptoms | Disease outbreak | 2024 · weeks 1–23 | 1.9 million | 207Source discrepancy: summary says 203 | 249,843reported cases | Report |
| Paraguay chikungunyaAcute chikungunya symptoms | Disease outbreak | 1 Oct 2022 – 11 Mar 2023 | 1.3 million | 52Probable / confirmed subset | 81,037reported cases | Report |
| Mexico dengueAcute dengue symptoms | Disease outbreak | 2024 · weeks 1–23 | 0.64 million | 26Same reporting period | 83,997reported cases | Report |
| Bangladesh dengueAcute dengue symptoms | Disease outbreak | 1 Jan – 7 Aug 2023 | 0.53 million | 327Same reporting period | 69,483lab-confirmed cases | Report |
USU estimates are approximate and assumption-based. They cover selected experiences, not every consequence of an event. Deaths remain separate. Read the method and assumptions.
The method
How we estimate suffering
Universal Suffering Units (USU) put an assumed intensity and duration alongside the number of people or episodes reported. Every condition uses one representative course, with its choices explained in the report.
One USU is a stipulated six-hour kidney-stone pain reference, totaling 47.25 intensity-hours. The scale is a convention; exact intensity assignments remain judgments.
Follow a calculation
Every report shows the source count, assumed course and arithmetic behind its headline.
See the Brazil dengue calculation →Understand the assumptions
Each condition uses the same assumptions across events, with the reasoning explained in every report.
Explore the common method →