IHME’s Global Health Insights

The NUS-IHME Global Burden of Disease Research Centre is a new regional hub to serve as a key analytical engine for Southeast Asia and the surrounding region by delivering scientific evidence that its leaders can translate into policy. We discuss the Centre with IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray and Professor Chong Yap Seng, Dean of NUS Medicine, the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the Natio...

IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray and UCLA Chancellor Dr. Julio Frenk discuss The Lancet Commission on Health Systems Performance Assessment and how the information will allow policymakers and other decision-makers to use resources strategically and improve health outcomes. ___________ Transcript Rhonda Stewart: Welcome to Global Health Insights, a podcast from IHME, the Institute for Health Me...

The Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) is the most comprehensive assessment of health trends and conditions across countries. GBD provides detailed analysis of disease burden related to life expectancy, non-communicable diseases, mental health, and many other health topics. We discuss the latest GBD with IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray. Read the GBD 2023 capstones, published in The Lancet:...

In Nigeria, less than 20% of the population has access to oral health care. This reflects a stark reality in many parts of the world--dental health remains one of the most neglected areas of public health. Dr. Adekemi Adeniyan, Executive Director of the Dentalcare Foundation, rural dentist, and advocate for oral health advancement in Nigeria, has been named IHME's 2025 Roux Prize winner.  The Roux...

Development assistance for health (DAH) is at its lowest level in 15 years. This funding backs health programs around the world and addresses diseases and conditions including HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and maternal and child health. In 2025, many donors (including the United States) cut back sharply on their contributions. There are concerns that cuts to development assistance for health co...

“We chose these four topics to highlight some of the ongoing and emerging population health challenges faced by the region in recent years,” said Dr. Marie Ng, lead author and Affiliate Associate Professor at IHME and Associate Professor at National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. She discussed this four-paper series that studied the burden of mental disorders, cardiovas...

Health care spending in the US is expected to reach more than $7 trillion by 2031. New research by IHME examines US health care spending by county and health condition and finds significant variation. Where you live, the type of care you receive, and how it’s paid for makes a difference. Understanding these trends is critical to identifying ways to reduce costs and increase access to care. We disc...

It’s an issue across every state and every age group: sharply rising rates of overweight and obesity. The most comprehensive study of current and future trends in the United States finds that by 2050, 213 million adults and more than 43 million children and adolescents are expected to have overweight or obesity. IHME researchers note that urgent action is needed to tackle the complex factors contr...

Race, gender, and where you live can have a profound impact on your well-being. In a first-of-its kind analysis, new data shows significant disparities in individual well-being as measured by lifespan, education, and income. As researchers point out, these disparities are not merely statistics, but a call for action. We discuss the data with study author IHME Associate Professor Laura Dwyer-Lindgr...

Half the world’s population lacks access to essential health services. Dr. Madeleine Ballard, CEO and co-founder of the Community Health Impact Coalition (CHIC) and community health worker Prossy Muyingo discuss the critical role played by community health workers. Transcript On behalf of CHIC, Dr. Ballard has been named the 2024 Roux Prize winner. The Roux Prize recognizes individuals all over th...

IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray discusses the latest research from GBD, which provides the most comprehensive impact of AMR to date. The data combines historical trends and forecasts through 2050, showing the development of this major global health threat. Transcript  An independent population health research organization based at the University of Washington School of Medicine, the Institute for H...

Understanding the relationship between risk factors and health outcomes is key to improving health and developing evidence-based policy. The latest Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) uses innovative new methods to analyze risk factors to health in more than 200 countries. We discuss the data with study author Dr. Michael Brauer of IHME and the University of British Columbia. Transcript An indepe...

Can we see the future in the present? How will the world be impacted by conditions including diabetes and other non-communicable diseases? How will environmental changes impact health? The latest Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) forecasts disease burden scenarios for more than 200 countries through 2050. We discuss the data with study author IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray. Transcript An indepe...

Males and females have unique health concerns that grow over time. Females show higher rates of health loss from conditions including depressive disorders, anxiety, Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Males show higher rates of health loss from cardiovascular, respiratory, and liver diseases. The latest Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) looks at trends across regions and age groups and highlights...

PEPFAR has saved more than 25 million lives and provides funding for AIDS treatment and education programs across Africa and into Asia and the Americas. But the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief faces new uncertainty in terms of long-term financial support. Traditionally funded for five years at a time, the program has recently been funded on only an annual basis. A government scientist u...

The world is facing a low-fertility future. By 2050, more than three-quarters of countries will not have fertility rates high enough to sustain population size over time. The latest Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) looks at past and future trends, which have major implications for societies and economies. We discuss the fertility research with Dr. Austin Schumacher, one of the study’s authors....

The Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) is the most comprehensive assessment of health trends and conditions across countries. The latest GBD studies provide detailed analysis of disease burden related to life expectancy, fertility, neurology, and many other health topics. We discuss GBD with IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray. Read the transcript Read the research An independent population hea...

Maternal mortality is a public health crisis in the United States. From 1999 and 2019, US maternal mortality more than doubled, according to a new study published by IHME and Mass General Brigham. We discuss this research with Dr. Greg Roth of IHME, Dr. Allison Bryant of Mass General Brigham, and Professor Monica McLemore of University of Washington. Watch the conversation Read the transcript Read...

A new study shows that antimicrobial resistance (AMR)is a significant threat in all 35 countries in the Americas causing 2 distinct problems: a high burden of infectious diseases & countries where a concerning proportion of infections involve AMR. We discuss the research with co-authors Lucien Swetschinski and Daniel Araki, as well as Dr. Gisela Robles Aguilar of Oxford University. Watch the c...

Dr. Emmanuela Gakidou and Dr. Ali Mokdad discuss the results from our new Pandemic Recovery Survey, showing the health and wellness of 21 countries following the pandemic. Watch the conversation Read the transcript Learn about the survey An independent population health research organization based at the University of Washington School of Medicine, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (...

About 15% of people over the age of 30 have osteoarthritis. We discuss the implications for population health with IHME researchers Dr. Jaimie Steinmetz and Dr. Liane Ong, as well as University of British Columbia's Dr. Jack Kopec. Watch the conversation Read the transcript Read the research An independent population health research organization based at the University of Washington School of Medi...

A new study shows that anemia impacts one in four people around the world, primarily women of childbearing age and children under the age of five. We discuss the research with Dr. Nick Kassebaum, Will Gardner, and Dr. Theresa McHugh. Watch the conversation Read the transcript Read the research An independent population health research organization based at the University of Washington School of Me...

In honor of Pride month, IHME's Maja Pasovic sat down with Dr. Shanna Stryker (MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Clinical Family and Community Medicine at the University of Cincinnati) to better understand her work with LGBTQIA+ patients, the structural and social health care barriers they face, the way policy and politics directly affect LGBTQIA+ health, and the role the GBD data could play to info...

More people are living with diabetes now than ever before, and we expect numbers to continue increasing, with 1.3 billion cases in 2050. We discuss the new findings with Dr. Liane Ong and Lauryn Stafford, who recently published their research. Watch the conversation Read the transcript Read the research An independent population health research organization based at the University of Washington Sc...

Despite being considered a “rare” disease, sickle cell affects a huge number of people in some parts of the world, like Africa and South Asia. We speak with Dr. Nick Kassebaum, Dr. Theresa McHugh, and Azalea Thomson about their recent research. Watch the conversation Read the transcript Read the research An independent population health research organization based at the University of Washington S...