GBD 2019 | World Health Organization (WHO) Introduction
Published October 15, 2020
My friend Chris Murray, dear colleagues and friends, I'm delighted to join you for the launch of the 2019 Global Burden of Disease report. WHO is a proud partner of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. The Global Burden of Disease is a powerful tool for improving health systems, reducing health disparities, and promoting policy. Today's launch comes at a critical time as the world grapples to understand the health impacts of COVID-19 and how underlying health conditions increase the risk of severe disease. This new edition confirms that the world faces a growing crisis of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The same conditions that fuel these diseases, including obesity, air pollution, and mental health, also increase the risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19. By taking action on NCDs, we can not only improve health around the world, but also bolster our defenses against future pandemics. WHO's 'Best Buys' are a set of 16 evidence-based policy interventions for NCDs that will save lives and save money, including alcohol and tobacco control, reducing salt and sugar consumption, managing cardiovascular risk, preventing cervical cancer, and more. The Global Burden of Disease is showing us the scale of the challenge we face, and the scale of dedication and innovation we need to build a healthier, safer, fairer world we all want. I thank you.