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Global Burden of Disease

The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) is the most comprehensive and systematic worldwide assessment of mortality and disease, and the risk factors associated with them, ever undertaken. 

 

People on mopeds in an Asian city

 

About GBD  The goal of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) is to provide a comprehensive picture of what disables and kills people across countries, time, age, and sex. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) provides a tool to quantify the burden — measured as loss of life or healthy life — from hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors, so that public health priorities can be identified, health systems can be improved and disparities can be eliminated. Overseen by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), GBD is a partnership of over 1000 scientists from 106 countries worldwide working together and with WHO and others to conduct this analysis.

Air Pollution   Starting with GBD 2000, HEI has led the air pollution working group, and worked with IHME and others to calculate and widely communicate the country specific impacts on disease, disability and early mortality for China, India, and other nations to policy makers, stakeholders and the media. Beginning with 2015 data, GBD will be updated on an annual basis, allowing air pollution and other impacts to be assessed regularly as a tool for measuring progress.

GBD MAPS   In 2014, HEI initiated the Global Burden of Disease Major Air Pollution Sources (GBD MAPS) project. Using the GBD framework, investigators for GBD MAPS will estimate the burden of disease attributable to coal-burning and other major ambient air pollution sources in China and India. The first phase of the project was completed in 2016 and estimated the burden of disease attributable to major air pollution sources in China in 2013, and in 2030 under four policy-relevant scenarios (see Special Report 20). GBD MAPS estimates for India will be published in the summer of 2017.

State of Global Air  In 2017, HEI launched State of Global Air 2017 — a concise, accessible report and interactive website providing “one-stop shopping” for the latest trends in air quality and its impact on human health around the world. The report and website will be updated each year, highlighting the extent to which air pollution affects public health as well as tracking progress toward cleaner air.