The indicator measures the standardised death rate of tuberculosis, HIV and hepatitis (International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes A15-A19_B90, B15-B19_B942 and B20-B24). The rate is calculated by dividing the number of people dying due to selected communicable diseases by the total population. Data on causes of death (COD) refer to the underlying cause which - according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) - is "the disease or injury which initiated the train of morbid events leading directly to death, or the circumstances of the accident or violence which produced the fatal injury". COD data are derived from death certificates. The medical certification of death is an obligation in all Member States. The data are presented as standardised death rates, meaning they are adjusted to a standard age distribution in order to measure death rates independently of different age structures of populations. This approach improves comparability over time and between countries. The standardised death rates used here are calculated on the basis of the standard European population referring to the residents of the countries.