Global Burden of Disease, GBD

Figure 4.

Rank of Age-Standardized YLL Rates Relative to the 34 OECD Countries in 2010

Numbers in cells indicate the ranks of each country for each cause, with 1 representing the best-performing country. Countries are sorted on the basis of age-standardized all-cause years of life lost (YLLs) for 2010. Diseases and injuries contributing to YLLs are ordered by the difference between the US rate and the lowest rate in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for each cause. Colors indicate whether the age-standardized YLL rate for the country is significantly lower (green), indistinguishable (yellow), or higher (red) from the mean age-standardized YLL rate across the OECD countries. HIV indicates human immunodeficiency virus.[1]

How is GBD anything less than an indictment of the greed in our public health carnival? Click on the chart to enlarge it and read across the line for the US. We are 7th from the bottom in health care. The list includes 33rd out of 34 in interpersonal violence, 34th in poisonings, 31st in diabetes, cardiomyopathy and chronic kidney disease.

[1] Figure 4 reproduced with permission JAMA RightsLink and Copyright Clearance Center Aug 14 JAMA, Christopher Murray et al; Copyright © 2013, American Medical Association