Burden of disease
Burden of disease is a measure of population health that aims to quantify the gap between the ideal of living to old age in good health, and the current situation where healthy life is shortened by illness, injury, disability and premature death.
It is an important summary measure for health policy and planning because it quantifies the total impact of health conditions on the individual at the population level, in a comparable and consistent way.
Studies are undertaken by different groups at international and national levels.
The sources below provide more information.
Australian studies
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) conducts the Australian Burden of Disease Study (ABDS 2011).
Read about the Australian Burden of Disease Study 2011 (ABDS 2011)
Global studies
The Global Burden of Disease study (GBD) is now based at the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, USA. Find current reports and data visualisations
Indigenous burden of disease
The burden of disease and injury in Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2017 (reference year 2011) report series is the second Queensland study of the burden of disease and injury in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Due to availability of life table data, which underpins the burden of disease estimates, this report describes the burden of disease and injury in Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2011.
Professor Alan Lopez presentation: March 2017
The Global Burden of Disease study (GBD)—measuring health and information policy. Jointly hosted by Preventive Health Branch and Queensland Epidemiology Group.
The presentation is available as a video from the Australasian Epidemiological Association.
