The Global Burden of Disease: Generating Evidence, Guiding Policy – European Union and Free Trade Association Regional Edition

The Global Burden of Disease: Generating Evidence, Guiding Policy – European Union and European Free Trade Association Regional Edition presents regional findings and cross-country comparisons in diseases, health, injuries, and risk factors for countries in the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). The report is based on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2010 (GBD 2010), a collaborative effort of almost 500 researchers from 50 countries led by IHME at the University of Washington.

In the EU and EFTA countries, disease burden from many non-communicable causes, including ischemic heart disease, lung cancer, and diabetes, increased between 1990 and 2010, likely due to the persistence of poor diets, high blood pressure, smoking, and high body mass index as leading risk factors. During the same period, there was also an increase in the percentage of healthy years lost from disability caused by conditions including musculoskeletal disorders, depression, and anxiety. Yet EU and EFTA countries have succeeded in decreasing premature death and disability from most communicable, maternal, newborn, and nutritional causes, as well as road injury.