Health statistics and health information systems

Global Burden of Disease (GBD)

Global Burden of Disease analysis provides a comprehensive and comparable assessment of mortality and loss of health due to diseases, injuries and risk factors for all regions of the world. The overall burden of disease is assessed using the disability-adjusted life year (DALY), a time-based measure that combines years of life lost due to premature mortality and years of life lost due to time lived in states of less than full health.

The WHO GBD project draws on a wide range of data sources to quantify global and regional effects of diseases, injuries and risk factors on population health. The latest assessment of deaths by cause is for the year 2008 and is available here. The latest comprehensive assessment of burden of disease (deaths, DALYs and related statistics) for 2004 is also available, together with updated projections to the year 2030, and documentation of methods and data sources. Manuals, software and other resources are also provided for carrying out burden of disease studies.

Estimates of mortality by cause have also been updated for the year 2008. Due to changes in data and some methods (particularly for child deaths), the 2008 estimates are not comparable to the earlier 2004 estimates for countries without good death registration data. DALY estimates have not been updated from 2004, and revisions will await the release of the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study in 2012.

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NEW!!

  • Global Burden of Disease, Injuries and Risk Factors 2010 Survey
    The Global burden of disease, injuries and risk factors study 2010 is revising the disability weights used for DALY calculations and is collecting information through community surveys and an internet survey. Click on the link above to participate in the internet survey.

STATISTICS

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

  • Global Health Risks (2009)
    Comprehensive assessment of leading risks to global health. Provides detailed global and regional estimates of premature mortality, disability and loss of health attributable to 24 global risk factors.
  • The global burden of disease: 2004 update (2008)
    Comprehensive assessment of the health of the world's population. Provides detailed global and regional estimates of premature mortality, disability and loss of health for 135 causes by age and sex, drawing on extensive WHO databases and on information provided by Member States.