TY - JOUR
T1 - Gaps in policy-relevant information on burden of disease in children
T2 - A systematic review
AU - Rudan, Igor
AU - Lawn, Joy
AU - Cousens, Simon
AU - Rowe, Alexander K.
AU - Boschi-Pinto, Cynthia
AU - Tomašković, Lana
AU - Mendoza, Walter
AU - Lanata, Claudio F.
AU - Roca-Feltrer, Arantxa
AU - Carneiro, Ilona
AU - Schellenberg, Joanna A.
AU - Polašek, Ozren
AU - Weber, Martin
AU - Bryce, Jennifer
AU - Morris, Saul S.
AU - Black, Robert E.
AU - Campbell, Harry
N1 - Funding Information:
The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors only and do not necessarily represent the positions of the institutions they work for. We thank Karen Edmond and Melissa Thumm who coordinated the data abstraction that took place at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. CHERG was coordinated by the Department of Child and Adolescent Health and Development of the WHO and received financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
PY - 2005/6/11
Y1 - 2005/6/11
N2 - Background: Valid information about cause-specific child mortality and morbidity is an essential foundation for national and international health policy. We undertook a systematic review to investigate the geographical dispersion of and time trends in publication for policy-relevant information about children's health and to assess associations between the availability of reliable data and poverty. Methods: We identified data available on Jan 1, 2001, and published since 1980, for the major causes of morbidity and mortality in young children. Studies with relevant data were assessed against a set of inclusion criteria to identify those likely to provide unbiased estimates of the burden of childhood disease in the community. Findings: Only 308 information units from more than 17 000 papers identified were regarded as possible unbiased sources for estimates of childhood disease burden. The geographical distribution of these information units revealed a pattern of small well-researched populations surrounded by large areas with little available information. No reliable population-based data were identified from many of the world's poorest countries, which account for about a third of all deaths of children worldwide. Interpretation: The number of new studies diminished over the last 10 years investigated. The number of population-based studies yielding estimates of burden of childhood disease from less developed countries was low. The decreasing trend over time suggests reductions in research investment in this sphere. Data are especially sparse from the world's least developed countries with the highest child mortality. Guidelines are needed for the conduct of burden-of-disease studies together with an international research policy that gives increased emphasis to global equity and coverage so that knowledge can be generated from all regions of the world.
AB - Background: Valid information about cause-specific child mortality and morbidity is an essential foundation for national and international health policy. We undertook a systematic review to investigate the geographical dispersion of and time trends in publication for policy-relevant information about children's health and to assess associations between the availability of reliable data and poverty. Methods: We identified data available on Jan 1, 2001, and published since 1980, for the major causes of morbidity and mortality in young children. Studies with relevant data were assessed against a set of inclusion criteria to identify those likely to provide unbiased estimates of the burden of childhood disease in the community. Findings: Only 308 information units from more than 17 000 papers identified were regarded as possible unbiased sources for estimates of childhood disease burden. The geographical distribution of these information units revealed a pattern of small well-researched populations surrounded by large areas with little available information. No reliable population-based data were identified from many of the world's poorest countries, which account for about a third of all deaths of children worldwide. Interpretation: The number of new studies diminished over the last 10 years investigated. The number of population-based studies yielding estimates of burden of childhood disease from less developed countries was low. The decreasing trend over time suggests reductions in research investment in this sphere. Data are especially sparse from the world's least developed countries with the highest child mortality. Guidelines are needed for the conduct of burden-of-disease studies together with an international research policy that gives increased emphasis to global equity and coverage so that knowledge can be generated from all regions of the world.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66697-4
DO - 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66697-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 15950717
AN - SCOPUS:20444371907
SN - 0140-6736
VL - 365
SP - 2031
EP - 2040
JO - Lancet
JF - Lancet
IS - 9476
ER -