Think Global Health

Think Global Health is an initiative of the Council on Foreign Relations in collaboration with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. Think Global Health chose IHME for its expertise in measuring the world’s health problems. Think Global Health launched on January 21, 2020.

Recommendations, analyses, forecasts, interviews, and data visualizations on the site have been circulated widely and many have been featured in or cited by Vox, The Atlantic, New York Magazine, New York Times, Intercept, Washington Post, the BBC, and many others. Think Global Health was nominated for a Webby Award in 2021.

2021

September 8, 2021

Putting Vision Loss and Aging into Focus

Addressing high blood sugar can reduce vision loss in older adults.

September 7, 2021

Hearing Loss, Social Isolation, and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Socially distanced environments require inclusive policies for hard-of-hearing people.

August 20, 2021

Hot, Cold, and Deadly

Extreme temperature is a threat to global health. As temperatures increase globally, any reduced risk for death from cold will be more than offset by the increased risk from heat.

August 12, 2021

Time for a Smart Approach to Boosters

Some privileged Americans are seeking out supplementary COVID-19 vaccines, but the most vulnerable should be prioritized.

August 3, 2021

Exclusive Breastfeeding Faces Continued Challenges in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Only six LMICs are projected to meet the WHO's Global Nutrition Target of 70 percent or greater EBF prevalence by 2030.

June 9, 2021

Planning Amid Uncertainty

While only a fraction of the world is fully vaccinated, some regions—mostly within high-income countries where vaccines are accessible—are entering a liminal space where businesses, governments, the public sector, individuals, and families may start to consider longer-term plans.

June 9, 2021

Criminalizing HIV Slows Progress

Discriminatory laws keep people from seeking care, prevention information.

June 9, 2021

Traversing Nepal’s COVID Peaks and Valleys

While Nepal's lockdown worked to contain COVID-19, the measures had severe consequences on the economy.

May 30, 2021

How Tobacco Advertising Woos Women

The myth of "You've come a long way, baby" and other ploys to lure female smokers.

May 27, 2021

Unknowing victims: the risk of secondhand smoke exposure during COVID lockdowns

The risk of secondhand smoke exposure during COVID lockdowns.

May 27, 2021

Countries Hit Hardest by COVID-19

Which countries will have the highest mortality from COVID-19 come September 1, 2021? The numbers may surprise you.

May 26, 2021

Opioid Deaths and Lockdowns: A Complicated Story

In the United States and Canada, the synthetic opioid fentanyl and lockdowns were a deadly combination.

May 13, 2021

E-Cigarettes and the U.S. Menthol Ban: A Missed Opportunity to Protect Youth

The FDA's recent promise to ban menthol-flavored tobacco needs to go further, nixing flavors in all tobacco products.

May 12, 2021

Tracking Lives We've Lost to COVID-19

It's surprisingly hard to answer how many lives we've lost to COVID-19.

April 14, 2021

Reducing Inequity in the United States' Vaccine Rollout

We need to rethink what vaccine access means.

April 1, 2021

Through Understanding and Empathy, We Can Convince Women to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine

Many are concerned about side effects, and want to wait and see if the vaccine is safe.

March 16, 2021

Just How Do Deaths Due to COVID-19 Stack Up?

Since the beginning of 2020, COVID has accounted for nearly 1 in 20 deaths globally. This makes it the fourth-leading cause of death worldwide, second-leading in the US, and number one in Brazil, England, France, and Mexico, among others.