This document discusses the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, which involves over 1,700 collaborators in 124 countries. It provides examples of how GBD data has been used globally to inform policy decisions and public health programs. Countries mentioned include Colombia, China, Nigeria, India, Iran, Rwanda, the UK, the US, Uganda, Kenya, Norway, and Botswana. GBD data has addressed issues like violence, air pollution, tobacco use, mental health, malnutrition, and non-communicable diseases. Leaders like Bill Gates, Michelle Obama, and health ministers have recognized GBD as an important resource for evidence-based decision making.

1. GBD:
The global
picture
Lifestyle and behavior
are linked to 20–25%
of the global
burden of
disease.

2. COLOMBIA
Rodrigo Guerrero,
2014 Roux Prize recipient
and former mayor of Cali,
Colombia, uses disease
burden data to help
address violence, resulting
in his city’s lowest
homicide rate in 27 years.

3. “GBD is super-helpful
when we’re talking to
developing countries…
So I’ve been taking
GBD charts with me when
I’ve met with people in
Cambodia, or Indonesia,
or even at the French aid
agency about trends in
francophone Africa… It’s a
very important tool for me.
Before I go into strategy meetings,
I sometimes look at the GBD to
remind myself of the numbers.”
Bill Gates

4. NIGERIA
Lagos-based Friends
Africa, an advocacy and
training organization,
implements programs
on workplace health
and free HIV testing
and counseling in
six countries.

5. The Global
Burden
of Disease
A truly global enterprise:
1,700+ collaborators; 124
countries, 1 territory
Strengthening data inputs,
quality review,
interpretation, local
dissemination

6. GBD:
The global
picture
More than 33% of the
disease burden and
almost 60% of premature
deaths among adults can
be associated with
behaviors or conditions
that began or occurred
during adolescence.

7. CHINA
The Chinese
government sets
new regulations and
targets for lowering
air pollution based
on GBD.

8. “Through our research,
we strive to provide the
most accurate and
comprehensive information
on population health that,
in turn, will create a stronger
foundation for strategic
decision-making, and, ultimately,
better health for people
worldwide. And we aim to
engage everyone in seeking
understanding about how to
improve people’s health,
because this is no longer the
purview of the specialist; this is
in your hands.”
Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray

9. INDIA
Indian Council of
Medical Research
launches a state-level
assessment of health
loss nationwide.

10. GBD:
The global
picture
By 2020,
non-communicable
diseases are expected
to account for 7 out
of 10 deaths in
developing regions.

11. “[This research]
makes clear that
poor nutrition is the
single greatest cause of
preventable diseases and
ailments in this country —
the single greatest
cause. Simply what we put
into our bodies — seems
obvious, but we still resist
that truth.”
Michelle Obama

12. IHME not only
gathers health data,
but it also develops
new methods of
understanding the
data. And with its
education programs,
IHME is training the
next generation of
data scientists.

13. IRAN
Government sets
ambitious goals to
reduce heart disease
and tobacco use, and
increase mental health
in its 2015–2025
national health plan.

14. CHINA
Implementing
limits on coal to
address health burden
and reduce effects of
climate change.

15. BOTSWANA
Facing daunting
opposition, the
president cites public
health concerns to
increase taxes on
alcohol, helping lower
the incidence of rape,
domestic violence,
road injuries, and
other burdens.

16. NORWAY
Special IHME study
reveals fewer Norwegians
die from heart disease and
road injuries, but early
deaths from lung cancer,
colorectal cancer,
and drug use
have risen.

17. U.S.
The National
Institutes of
Health uses the GBD
to determine how
best to direct public
funding for cancer
and other diseases.

18. RWANDA
Agnes Binagwaho,
2015 Roux Prize recipient
and former Rwandan
Minister of Health, leads
efforts to reduce
household air pollution —
a key factor in premature
death and disability —
by giving clean cook
stoves to one million
households.

19. U.K. government
implements new
health policies, creates
a burden of disease
unit, and establishes
county-level health
studies.
U.K.

20. U.S. Burden of
Disease released at
White House event
in 2013:
• Michelle Obama and
IHME’s Christopher
Murray provide state
and local policymakers
with findings on physical
activity, obesity, and
life expectancy.
• Health profiles
prepared for
3,000+ counties
and cities.

21. UGANDA
First-ever
comprehensive
assessment of gains
and gaps addressing
regional health needs,
part of the Malaria
Control Policy
Assessment project.

22. NIGERIA
There are stark
geographic disparities
for malnutrition,
vaccines, and other
childhood health
concerns.

23. KENYA
Using GBD data, IHME
and the Kenya Red Cross
examine progress on HIV,
malaria, and TB, mapping
strategies to tackle the
rising tide of
non-communicable
diseases.