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Health risks and issues

Featured health risks and issues

As part of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, we produce estimates for more than 80 risk factors along with in-depth analysis for the world's most pressing health issues.

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Health topic

Air pollution

Air pollution adversely affects health in much of the world. Outdoor air pollution has several components, including various gases as well as tiny particles of solids or liquids that are suspended in the air, often called ambient particulate matter. Ambient particulate matter pollution is a major cause of premature death and ill health worldwide.

Last updated
September 5, 2023
Health topic

Alcohol use

Alcohol use is a major risk factor for death and disability worldwide. It is ranked among other risks such as high blood pressure, smoking, and dietary risks. In some countries, alcohol use is the number one risk factor for men.

Last updated
August 28, 2023
Health topic

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

AMR poses a major threat to human health around the world. AMR occurs when microorganisms, such as bacteria, adapt in ways that make currently available treatments for infections less effective. Action is needed to reduce the impact of AMR worldwide.

Last updated
August 16, 2023
Health topic

Child health

Despite notable advancements and progress made by many countries in reducing child mortality rates, millions of children continue to lose their lives before turning five.

Last updated
August 25, 2023
Health topic

Diet

It is well known that what we eat influences our health, but how much disease burden can be attributed to diet, and what components of our diet are most harmful? The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study provides some of the answers to these questions by tracking risk factors as well as diseases and injuries. GBD estimates now include over 80 different risk factors, including dietary risks.

Last updated
July 24, 2023
Health topic

Maternal health

Maternal health encompasses the health of women during and just after pregnancy, a time when women are at risk of complications and even death. 

Last updated
August 16, 2023
Health topic

Smoking and tobacco

Tobacco is a clearly damaging risk factor to health, significantly contributing to the burden of many non-communicable diseases, and even to some communicable diseases. While smoking prevalence has decreased over the past 30 years, the total number of smokers worldwide has continued to increase due to population growth. 

Last updated
August 16, 2023
Burden of Proof

Which health studies are supported by strong evidence?

We investigated which popular health recommendations have the biggest impact, so everyone from health-conscious individuals to policymakers can better understand the strength of evidence behind certain risks and outcomes.

Publications

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Scientific Publication

The global, regional, and national burden of adult lip, oral, and pharyngeal cancer in 204 countries and territories

Kelly Compton, Rixing Xu, Lisa Force, Alistair Acheson, Dan Lu, Lindsey Wallace, Jonathan Kocarnik, Weijia Fu, Frances Dean, Alyssa Pennini, Hannah Henrikson, Tahiya Alam, Aleksandr Aravkin, Eunice Chung, Xiaochen Dai, Lalit Dandona, Rakhi Dandona, Mohammed Hassen, Simon Hay, Stephen Lim, Tomislav Mestrovic, Ali Mokdad, Christopher J.L. Murray, Hasan Nassereldine
September 7, 2023
Scientific Publication

The burden of antimicrobial resistance in the Americas in 2019

Gisela Robles Aguilar, Lucien Swetschinski, Mohsen Naghavi, Christopher J.L. Murray, Simon Hay, Nicole Weaver, Kevin Ikuta, Tomislav Mestrovic, Authia Gray, Eunice Chung, Eve Wool, Chieh Han, Aaron Huang, Anna Hayoon, Daniel Araki, Aleksandr Aravkin, Xiaochen Dai, Mohammed Hassen, Hmwe Hmwe Kyu, Stephen Lim, Ali Mokdad, Hasan Nassereldine, Dereje Yohannis Yada
August 8, 2023

Interactive data visuals

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Interactive Data Visual

MICROBE

The MICROBE (Measuring Infectious Causes and Resistance Outcomes for Burden Estimation) tool visualizes the fatal and nonfatal health outcomes of infections, pathogens, and antimicrobial resistance across different countries and regions.

Last updated
November 21, 2022
Interactive Data Visual

Burden of Proof

Compare strength of evidence for health risks and outcomes.

Last updated
October 10, 2022
Interactive Data Visual

Double Burden of Malnutrition

With this dynamic map visualization tool, explore local patterns in child overweight and wasting, from 2000 to 2019. Observe trends at multiple spatial scales and search to view trends in specific countries and local areas.

Last updated
April 20, 2020
Interactive Data Visual

Child Growth Failure

Delve into local patterns in child stunting, wasting, and underweight across all low- and middle-income countries from 2000 to 2017.

Last updated
January 8, 2020

Data input sources

The Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) is home to the world's most comprehensive catalog of surveys, censuses, vital statistics, and other health-related data. Use our data input sources tool to explore the sources used in the latest round of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) estimation.

Open data catalog