Commentaries

Since John Graunt's analyses of the Bills of Mortality in London, UK, in 1662, observations of premature deaths have driven public health actions—from John Snow's apocryphal removal of the handle on the Broad Street pump during the 1854 cholera outbreak to the international response to the 2013–16 outbreak of Ebola virus disease in west Africa.

A new report in The Lancet using data from the Global Burden of Disease Study adds quantitative detail to an already extensive international literature on the health impact of the global tobacco epidemic by providing comprehensive estimates of death and disability caused by smoking at the country level.

Although knowledge about global health financing has expanded over the past two decades, major gaps remain. We know little, for example, about how much governments spend on major disease areas, how these amounts have evolved over time and how countries compare. A global health financing data revolution is sorely needed. The suite of papers that make up this special issue underline the importance of reliable information about financial resources for health.

After more than a decade of immense growth, development assistance for health has flatlined. DAH fueled a scale up of antiretrovirals, insecticide-treated bed nets, vaccinations and a host of important global health interventions. Over the same period, the spread of a number of infectious diseases was reversed, reducing premature death and disability across the developing world. The plateau in international funding may threaten to slow progress or even roll back these gains.

One current and one former IHME official have been elected as members of the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine, reserved for individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. The two are IHME Board Member Jane Halton, BA (Hons), Secretary of the Australian Department of Finance and Adjunct Professor, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia; and past member of IHME's Scientific Oversight Group Stefano Bertozzi, MD, PhD, Dean, School of Public Health, and Professor, Health and Policy Management, University of California, Berkeley.

Bill Gates explains in this Gates Notes post using Global Burden of Disease study results why, "Malaria is the key reason mosquitoes are the deadliest animal in the world."

In the past two decades, thanks to effective antiretroviral treatment (ART), enormous progress has been made in improving the health and life expectancy of HIV-infected individuals.1 The success of ART, combined with the benefits of treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis on HIV transmission, have generated new hope to end the HIV/AIDS epidemics.2 Translation of this hope into universal reality will need accelerated efforts to ensure rapid access to ART and to extend HIV prevention services to reach the most affected populations and regions.

Christopher Murray, Director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, discusses the Guidelines for Accurate and Transparent Health Estimates Reporting (GATHER) statement and the importance of ensuring accurate and transparent reporting of public health research.

For a man who goes by the moniker ‘Dr Death’, Alan Lopez has saved a lot of lives. So many millions of lives it’s impossible to count. But he’s not a doctor.

Unprecedented global forces are shaping the health and well-being of the largest generation of 10 to 24 year olds in human history. Population mobility, global communications, economic development, and the sustainability of ecosystems are setting the future course for this generation and, in turn, humankind. At the same time, we have come to new understandings of adolescence as a critical phase in life for achieving human potential.

Before leaving home for a trip to the market, you likely know how much you plan to spend and how much food you will get for your money. This basic understanding of how much food your money will buy allows you to budget effectively and makes your shopping experience much less stressful. For most purchases, it is critical to understand how much money you have and what that money will purchase,  Unfortunately, this basic concept is all too often absent in health systems, particularly in primary health care (PHC) systems.

Pneumonia kills more children under five each year than any other infectious disease – causing over 900,000 deaths each year. With nearly 60% of child pneumonia deaths occurring in countries deemed as “fragile states," the time is now to rejuvenate funding and programmes targeting these geographies.

Uganda has achieved large gains against malaria through improving intervention delivery. At the same time, this year’s outbreak in northern Uganda highlights a need for stronger, more focal monitoring of malaria needs. No magic bullet exists against malaria, nor will a one-size-fits-all solution work to end the disease. But by harnessing local evidence and devising multipronged, targeted programs, Uganda aims to accelerate toward its goal of reaching zero malaria.

We know what works to fight pneumonia in children. Improving access to prompt diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia and scaling up vaccines that protect children against particularly deadly strains has occurred in many countries. So why has progress against pneumonia fallen behind?

China’s emphasis on providing primary health care to even the most remote areas has paid off. Yet, despite impressive health progress, massive disparities persist within China.

Twenty-five years ago, the state of public health for large populations was like that of a doctor trying to treat a patient without a proper diagnosis. The diseases and injuries that cut lives short and caused widespread suffering were not rigorously tracked. To address this problem, Alan Lopez and Christopher Murray launched the Global Burden of Disease project (GBD) in 1990. Decision-makers need information about the world’s biggest health threats and how they have changed over time, across age groups, and by sex, so they can ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live the longest, healthiest life possible.

Whenever a mass shooting occurs, a debate about gun violence ensues. An often-cited counter to the point about the United States’ high rates of gun homicides is that people in other countries kill one another at the same rate using different types of weapons. It’s not true. Compared to other countries, the United States has exceptional homicide rates, and it’s driven by gun violence.

In the era of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), regular reporting of specific health indicators drew public and policy attention, and ultimately resources, to causes such as maternal and child health. On Sept 25–27, 2015, the UN Sustainable Development Summit was held in New York, NY, USA, leading to the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the UN General Assembly. On the basis of the lessons learned from the MDGs, the indicators chosen for each SDG target will probably determine the amount of action and attention each target receives.

If you asked the average global health professional to name the countries where alcohol caused the most health problems, what would they say?

Representatives of national governments are now coming together to set the next development agenda, under the umbrella of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as the era of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) concludes. In order to attain the new goals, it may help to revisit what worked — and what didn't — in achieving the successes of the MDGs over the past 15 years.