Measuring global health: motivation and evolution of the Global Burden of Disease Study

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 390; no. 10100; pp. 1460 - 1464
• Main Authors: Murray, Christopher J L, Lopez, Alan D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 16-09-2017; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Child mortality; Collaboration; Data Collection - statistics & numerical data; Data processing; Debates; Disease; Estimates; Forecasting; Global Burden of Disease - statistics & numerical data; Global health; Global Health - statistics & numerical data; Health policy; Humans; Injuries; International Cooperation; Motivation; Personal health; Population; Public health; Quality-Adjusted Life Years; Risk factors; China
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32367-X

Over the years, in response to vigorous scientific critique,22 philosophical debate,23 and innovation from authors involved in the study, the GBD Study has continued to grow in scope, relevance, participation, and scale, to the point that it is now arguably the de facto source for global health accounting. In this Viewpoint, we trace the evolution of ten key dimensions of the GBD Study, which, in our view as the two founders of the GBD, have had an important role in increasing the utility, relevance, and integration of the GBD findings in national and global health policy debates, and highlight what we see as some of the principal challenges for the future.