Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Encyclopedia
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is a research institute working in the area of global health
statistics and evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. The Institute is headed by Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray, a physician and health economist, and professor at the Department of Global Health
, which is part of the School of Medicine
and the School of Public Health. IHME's goal, as stated on the Institute's website, is "to identify the best strategies to build a healthier world. By measuring health, tracking program performance, finding ways to maximize health system impact, and developing innovative measurement systems, IHME provides a foundation for informed decision-making that ultimately will lead to better health globally." IHME conducts research and trains scientists, policymakers, and the public in health metrics concepts, methods, and tools, and its work includes judging the effectiveness and efficacy of health initiatives and national health systems. IHME's work seeks to be complementary to the United Nations'
work in the World Health Organization
in that it shares many tasks but is independent from pressure from member countries
.
IHME gathers health-related data from all available sources. It develops innovative analytical tools to track trends in mortality, diseases, and risk factors. It evaluates interventions such as vaccines, malaria control policies, cancer screenings, and birth care. To enable researchers to replicate IHME’s work and to foster new research, IHME created the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) where methods and results are cataloged and freely accessible. IHME is also committed to expanding the field of health metrics by training students at the post-baccalaureate and post-graduate levels.
. This grant of $105 million was given to the University of Washington in Seattle after Microsoft co-founder Larry Ellison's pledge of $115 million to Harvard for the founding of a similar institution fell through. Among their earliest projects was to produce new estimates of mortality rates. Members of the Institute published under-5 mortality rates in The Lancet in September 2007, and the Institute updated these in 2010. Maternal and adult mortality estimates have been published as well.
The first board meeting was April 9, 2008. A public open house was also held. The board at that time included Chair Julio Frenk
, Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health; Harvey Fineberg, President of the Institute of Medicine; Gro Harlem Brundtland
, former Prime Minister of Norway; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Minister of Health for Ethiopia; K. Srinath Reddy
, President of the Public Health Foundation of India
; Tomris Turmen, President of the International Children’s Center and Head of the Department of Pediatrics/Newborn Medicine at the University of Ankara Medical School in Ankara, Turkey; Lincoln Chen, President of the China Medical Board; Jane Halton, Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing in Australia; and David Roux, Co-Chief Executive of Silver Lake Partners
. Board member positions rotate, and in 2010, Ghebreyesus and Brundtland stepped down and Peter Piot
, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
, and Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih
, the Minister of Health for Indonesia, joined the IHME board.
In 2011, IHME co-sponsored the first Global Health Metrics & Evaluation conference in Seattle with The Lancet
, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
, Harvard School of Public Health
, and University of Queensland
School of Population Health.
Recent publications have included small area estimation of diabetes rates in the United States and a large study of how global health is financed, which focused on development assistance for health in a 2009 publication and public financing in a 2010 publication. IHME has also worked with other organizations on major projects. For example, IHME’s malaria team helped create the 2010 WHO World Malaria Report, generating all the estimates for insecticide-treated nets. There is a list of publications at IHME’s website.
Their cost effectiveness work has been quite revalatory. For example, a 2010 report showed improving girls’ education in poor countries is the most effective way to reduce child mortality, which was a surprise for some people.
This group also works on demography, and IHME's work on estimating mortality has been at times controversial. In 2009, IHME published a study on maternal mortality which some advocacy groups tried to suppress - worried that results showing a decline in mortality would make it harder to fund-raise. The WHO also initially disgreed with the new results, but later revised their estimates in agreement with those of IHME.
A paper published in the journal, Population Health Metrics in June 2011 showed that life expectancy in US counties was rising in some poorer US counties - especially in the south - a surprising result which was widely discussed.
Global health
Global health is the health of populations in a global context and transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations. Health problems that transcend national borders or have a global political and economic impact, are often emphasized...
statistics and evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. The Institute is headed by Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray, a physician and health economist, and professor at the Department of Global Health
University of Washington Department of Global Health
The University of Washington Department of Global Health is a department jointly run by the schools of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington...
, which is part of the School of Medicine
University of Washington School of Medicine
The University of Washington School of Medicine is a public medical school located in Seattle, Washington.-Overview:UWSOM is a graduate school affiliated with the University of Washington, and is the only medical school in the states of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho...
and the School of Public Health. IHME's goal, as stated on the Institute's website, is "to identify the best strategies to build a healthier world. By measuring health, tracking program performance, finding ways to maximize health system impact, and developing innovative measurement systems, IHME provides a foundation for informed decision-making that ultimately will lead to better health globally." IHME conducts research and trains scientists, policymakers, and the public in health metrics concepts, methods, and tools, and its work includes judging the effectiveness and efficacy of health initiatives and national health systems. IHME's work seeks to be complementary to the United Nations'
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
work in the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
in that it shares many tasks but is independent from pressure from member countries
.
IHME gathers health-related data from all available sources. It develops innovative analytical tools to track trends in mortality, diseases, and risk factors. It evaluates interventions such as vaccines, malaria control policies, cancer screenings, and birth care. To enable researchers to replicate IHME’s work and to foster new research, IHME created the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx) where methods and results are cataloged and freely accessible. IHME is also committed to expanding the field of health metrics by training students at the post-baccalaureate and post-graduate levels.
History
IHME was launched in June 2007 based on a core grant primarily funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationBill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
. This grant of $105 million was given to the University of Washington in Seattle after Microsoft co-founder Larry Ellison's pledge of $115 million to Harvard for the founding of a similar institution fell through. Among their earliest projects was to produce new estimates of mortality rates. Members of the Institute published under-5 mortality rates in The Lancet in September 2007, and the Institute updated these in 2010. Maternal and adult mortality estimates have been published as well.
The first board meeting was April 9, 2008. A public open house was also held. The board at that time included Chair Julio Frenk
Julio Frenk
Dr. Julio José Frenk Mora is a Mexican physician and former Secretary of Health of Mexico. On January 1, 2009, Dr. Frenk became Dean of the Faculty and T & G Angelopoulos Professor of Public Health and International Development at the Harvard School of Public Health.-Biography:Dr. Julio Frenk was...
, Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health; Harvey Fineberg, President of the Institute of Medicine; Gro Harlem Brundtland
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Gro Harlem Brundtland is a Norwegian Social democratic politician, diplomat, and physician, and an international leader in sustainable development and public health. She served three terms as Prime Minister of Norway , and has served as the Director General of the World Health Organization...
, former Prime Minister of Norway; Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Minister of Health for Ethiopia; K. Srinath Reddy
K. Srinath Reddy
Kolli Srinath Reddy, who goes by K. Srinath Reddy, is the president of the Public Health Foundation of India.-Career:Reddy is the former head of the cardiology department at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.-External links:...
, President of the Public Health Foundation of India
Public Health Foundation of India
The Public Health Foundation of India , is an autonomous foundation located in New Delhi, India. The foundation was created as a public-private initiative and launched by the Prime minister of India, Manmohan Singh in 2006 with the aim of enhancing the capacity of public health professionals in the...
; Tomris Turmen, President of the International Children’s Center and Head of the Department of Pediatrics/Newborn Medicine at the University of Ankara Medical School in Ankara, Turkey; Lincoln Chen, President of the China Medical Board; Jane Halton, Secretary of the Department of Health and Ageing in Australia; and David Roux, Co-Chief Executive of Silver Lake Partners
Silver Lake Partners
Silver Lake is a US-based private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout and growth capital investments in technology, technology-enabled and related industries...
. Board member positions rotate, and in 2010, Ghebreyesus and Brundtland stepped down and Peter Piot
Peter Piot
Baron Peter Piot, MD, PhD FRCP is a former Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, former Executive Director of the UN specialized agency UNAIDS, and a professor at Imperial College London...
, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a constituent college of the federal University of London, specialising in public health and tropical medicine...
, and Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih
Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih
dr. Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih, MPH, Ph.D., born in 1955, is the Indonesian Minister of Health since October 22, 2009. Previously she served as the Head of Research and Development at the Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research and Development Agency of the Indonesian Ministry of Health...
, the Minister of Health for Indonesia, joined the IHME board.
In 2011, IHME co-sponsored the first Global Health Metrics & Evaluation conference in Seattle with The Lancet
The Lancet
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a constituent college of the federal University of London, specialising in public health and tropical medicine...
, Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
, and University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
School of Population Health.
Research
IHME's research is split into four areas, each of which has several research teams and projects. The areas are: innovative measurement systems, maximizing impact, measuring health, and tracking performance. IHME researchers have had their work published in more than 35 journal articles since the Institute’s creation. IHME also has launched an annual series of policy reports about global health financing, and in June 2010, it published a policy report on child and maternal mortality. In 2009, IHME launched its series of Financing Global Health policy reports. The report led to meetings with staff from the US House Foreign Affairs Committee and with a task force appointed by US President Barack Obama to guide the funding of his new Global Health Initiative.Recent publications have included small area estimation of diabetes rates in the United States and a large study of how global health is financed, which focused on development assistance for health in a 2009 publication and public financing in a 2010 publication. IHME has also worked with other organizations on major projects. For example, IHME’s malaria team helped create the 2010 WHO World Malaria Report, generating all the estimates for insecticide-treated nets. There is a list of publications at IHME’s website.
Global Burden of Disease
In the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study 2010 IHME is attempting to measure the impact of more than 200 health conditions and 40 health risk factors. In collaboration with 800 researchers worldwide, IHME intends to produce estimates in 21 regions around the world for disability-adjusted life years by age and sex for the past two decades. Part of this research involves conducting in-person surveys in several countries and gathering health information through a website survey.Disease Control Priorities Network
The Disease Control Priorities Network Project is generating cost effectiveness estimates for a range of health interventions. A team of demographers, statisticians, economists, and other experts are studying how to improve the allocation of resources among interventions, technologies, hospitals, and other service delivery platforms. They are working in multiple countries, including the US, India, and South Africa.Their cost effectiveness work has been quite revalatory. For example, a 2010 report showed improving girls’ education in poor countries is the most effective way to reduce child mortality, which was a surprise for some people.
Population Health Metrics Research Consortium Project
Through the Population Health Metrics Research Consortium Project, IHME and its collaborators are creating new methods for tracking health intervention coverage in low-resource settings. The methods could be used to measure mortality, causes of death, and incidence of major illnesses where data are incomplete. Researchers are working in the Philippines, India, Tanzania, and Mexico.This group also works on demography, and IHME's work on estimating mortality has been at times controversial. In 2009, IHME published a study on maternal mortality which some advocacy groups tried to suppress - worried that results showing a decline in mortality would make it harder to fund-raise. The WHO also initially disgreed with the new results, but later revised their estimates in agreement with those of IHME.
Malaria Control Policy Assessment Project
The Malaria Control Policy Assessment Project evaluates the effectiveness of malaria-control interventions in two countries in sub-Saharan Africa by analyzing their effect on child mortality and producing estimates at the national and local levels.United States public health research
IHME conducts extensive US research, including estimates of mortality, life expectancy, risk factors, health disparities, and disease prevalence. IHME is compiling national and local health trends and integrating multiple data sources to monitor disparities in chronic diseases. It also is measuring effective coverage in all Washington state counties.A paper published in the journal, Population Health Metrics in June 2011 showed that life expectancy in US counties was rising in some poorer US counties - especially in the south - a surprising result which was widely discussed.