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Stephen Lim

Stephen Lim, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Global Health at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. He is also Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Services at the University of Washington and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland in Australia.

Dr. Lim leads IHME’s work on monitoring the effective coverage of interventions and health systems. This includes a recently completed research study on tracking immunization coverage and the impact of the GAVI Alliance’s Immunization Services Support program. His second major research program relates to priority setting as part of the management group of the Disease Control Priorities Network (DCPN), which aims to assess the cost-effectiveness of interventions and health service delivery platforms. Dr. Lim is also actively involved in a number of other research areas, including chronic diseases and risk factors, impact evaluation, mortality statistics, and health inequalities. He has published widely in leading journals.

Prior to joining IHME, Dr. Lim was a Senior Research Fellow at the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland and was based at the Ministry of Public Health in Thailand, where he led a major project on health information system capacity building with a focus on burden of disease and cost-effectiveness analysis. Previously, Dr. Lim worked at the Evidence and Information for Policy Cluster at the World Health Organization (WHO), where he was a key member of the Choosing Interventions that are Cost-Effective (CHOICE) project.

Dr. Lim has been a member of numerous international expert groups, including The Lancet’s Chronic Disease Action Group, WHO’s Expert Committee for Guidelines for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Developing Countries, and the Global Burden of Disease Expert Group on Socioeconomic Determinants. He has also served as a reviewer for WHO/UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage, the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Malaria, and for the Taskforce on Innovative International Financing for Health Systems Working Group One.

Dr. Lim studied at Monash University in Australia, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Psychology, a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology, and a PhD in Epidemiology and Health Economics.

Selected Publications:

1. Lim SS, Vos T, Peeters A, Liew D, McNeil JJ. Cost-effectiveness of prescribing statins according to Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme criteria. Medical Journal of Australia. 2001; 175(9):459-64.
2. Adam T, Lim SS, Mehta S, Bhutta ZA, Fogstad H, Mathai M, Zupan J, Darmstadt GL. Cost effectiveness analysis of strategies for maternal and neonatal health in developing countries. British Medical Journal. 2005; 331:1107-10.
3. Evans DB, Lim SS, Adam T, Tan-Torres-Edejer T. Evaluation of current strategies and future priorities for improving health in developing countries. British Medical Journal. 2005; 331:1457-61.
4. Vapattanawong P, Hogan MC, Hanvoravongchai P, Gakidou E, Vos T, Lopez AD, Lim SS. Reductions in child mortality levels and inequalities in Thailand: analysis of two censuses. The Lancet. 2007; 369:850-5.
5. Hill K, Vapattanawong P, Prasartkul P, Porapakkham Y, Lim SS, Lopez AD. Epidemiologic Transition Interrupted: A reassessment of mortality trends in Thailand 1980-2000. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2007; 36:374-84.
6. Gartner CE, Hall WD, Vos T, Bertram MY, Wallace AL, Lim SS. Assessment of Swedish snus for tobacco harm reduction: an epidemiological modelling study. The Lancet. 2007; 369:2010-14.
7. Aekplakorn W, Abbott-Klafter J, Premgamone A, Dhanamun B, Chaikittiporn C, Chongsuvivatwong V, Suwanprapisa T, Chaipornsupaisan W, Tiptaradol S, Lim SS. Prevalence and management of diabetes and associated risk factors by regions of Thailand: Third National Health Examination survey 2004. Diabetes Care. 2007; 30: 2007-12.
8. Lim SS, Gaziano T, Gakidou E, Reddy KS, F Farshadfar, Lozano R, Rodgers A. Prevention of cardiovascular disease in high-risk individuals in low-income and middle-income countries: health effects and costs. The Lancet. 2007; 370: 2054-62.
9. Mendis S, Lindholm LH, Mancia G, Whitworth J, Alderman M, Lim SS, Heagerty T. World Health Organization and International Society of Hypertension (ISH) risk prediction charts: assessment of cardiovascular risk for prevention and control of cardiovascular disease in low and middle income countries. Journal of Hypertension. 2007; 25:1578-82.
10. Aekplakorn W, Hogan MC, Chongsuvivatwong V, Tatsanavivat P, Chariyalertsak S, Boonthum A, Tiptaradol S, Lim SS. Trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity, and associations with urban/rural residence and education in Thailand, 1997 to 2004. Obesity. 2007; 15:3113-21.
11. Lim SS, Stein DB, Charrow A, Murray CJL. Tracking progress towards universal childhood immunization and the impact of global initiatives: a systematic analysis of three-dose diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis immunisation coverage. The Lancet. 2008; 372:2031–46.

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