Global Burden of Disease (GH590C)
Course logistics:
Course description:
Burden of Disease is a cutting-edge measurement technique that allows health researchers to quantify and understand disease epidemiology at national and global levels. Burden of Disease estimates provide an overview of the levels of population health and the causes of loss of health, which can be used as evidence to inform health policy and advocacy. This course is designed to introduce students to the concepts, technical components and quantitative methods for Burden of Disease measurement. This course focuses predominately on constructing aggregate measures such as, Years Life Lost (YLL), Years lived with Disability (YLD) and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Furthermore, this course will discuss a range of measurement techniques that combine information on mortality and non-fatal health outcomes for a host of different diseases. This course will provide students with an understanding of the methodological and empirical basis for quantifying Burden of Disease estimates for national and global health priorities. Students will learn how to use sparse data covering mortality, morbidity, causes of death, individual health status, and condition-specific epidemiology to determine levels of health within different populations, particularly in developing countries.
