GBD

THE GRANT

The goal of GBD 2010 is to produce new estimates measuring the impact of hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in 21 regions around the world.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Principal Investigator:

Christopher J.L. Murray

Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2010

The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2010 aims to produce new, robust, and reliable estimates measuring the impact of hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors in 21 regions around the world. Led by IHME, the GBD Study 2010 is being conducted in collaboration with 800 epidemiological experts and public health researchers worldwide and spearheaded by a core team of leading research institutions: Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Queensland, and the World Health Organization.

With unprecedented money and attention pouring into international health, the need for an accurate assessment of global health patterns is a matter of utmost urgency. The GBD Study 2010 aims to produce estimates that will enable policymakers, researchers, funders, and practitioners to easily quantify and compare diseases, injuries, and risk factors to each other across regions, informing priorities for research, development, policies, and funding.

The study is using new and improved methods and tools to systematically and comprehensively update global disease burden estimates from the original GBD Study 1990 and to generate new estimates to 2010.

The project will produce:

  • New estimates of the global disease burden of more than 300 diseases and injuries and more than 40 risk factors in 21 regions around the globe. This will include specific estimates for disability-adjusted life years by age, sex and GBD region for 1990, 2005, and 2010.
  • The first comprehensive revision of disability weights since 1996. Weights will be assigned to all major health consequences of the causes included in the GBD Study and will address critiques of the original study in how weights are calculated.
  • A consistent time trend enabling the comparison of estimates from 1990 to current ones for 2000, 2002, and 2004.
  • Improved analytical tools tailored to specific audiences to standardize and broaden the field of burden research and analysis. Through computer-assisted self-instruction and training workshops, new generations of researchers will be schooled in up-to-date methods. Computational tools will allow researchers around the world to apply GBD techniques to produce rigorous and systematic burden estimates. Tailored publications will help policymakers and nonresearch audiences interpret GBD concepts and utilize study results. A comprehensive publication, Web site, and CD-ROM will guarantee universal access to GBD methods and results.

History of the project

In 1990, the World Bank commissioned the original Global Burden of Disease Study to provide a comprehensive assessment of the burden of 107 diseases and injuries and 10 selected risk factors for the world divided into eight different regions.

While various groups have published partial updates of the GBD rankings, there has not been a comprehensive, systematic revision of the original estimates. As a result, burden estimates today contain outdated and inconsistent information. As patterns of disease, disability, and their risk factors continue to change, there is increased need to reassess global burden estimates.

For more information, please visit: www.globalburden.org

Or contact: info@globalburden.org

 

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