Partnership in Pakistan
In Pakistan, the Aga Khan University (AKU) and IHME have been collaborating since 2019 to generate scientific evidence that can inform policymaking and priority setting.
Photo by Aga Khan University.
About the partnership
The formal partnership between the Aga Khan University (AKU) and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) endeavors to deepen knowledge sharing; build capacity for data analysis, modeling, and visualization; and strengthen the impact, relevance, and co-production of health metrics aimed at improving health and well-being in Pakistan.
This partnership leverages the CITRIC Health Data Science Center at Pakistan’s premier health sciences university to engage key stakeholders and collaborate with other prominent domestic institutions. Collaborations with Research & Development Solutions (RADS) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Islamabad serve to integrate data from across Pakistan’s health data landscape, identify priority analytic areas, and empower the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination (MoNHSR&C) with timely, relevant, and scientifically valid evidence to inform policy setting, planning, and decision-making.
Spotlight on: Aga Khan University
Get an inside look at the partnership between IHME and the Aga Khan University. Engagement Officer Brian Whaley interviews AKU's Zainab Samad to discuss how the two institutes are furthering health research in Pakistan.
What are the major findings?
Differences in disease burden between provinces suggest serious equity issues. Islamabad’s rate of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) was 22,226 per 100,000, but Balochistan’s rate was more than double at 49,620 per 100,000, and higher than the country’s rate of 42,059 per 100,000.
The top 5 leading causes of premature death in 2019 were:
- Neonatal disorders
- Ischemic heart disease
- Stroke
- Diarrheal diseases
- Lower respiratory infections
Over the last 30 years, the leading causes of disease burden have shifted from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Cardiovascular disease, cancers, and diabetes are becoming major causes of death and disability, and researchers forecast that these diseases will be the three leading causes of death in the next 30 years.
Featured events
Aga Khan University, IHME, and other stakeholders have collaborated extensively to improve understanding of health in Pakistan.
Participants engage with data visualizations using GBD Compare at the Pakistan Global Burden of Disease Workshop hosted by AKU in Karachi, January 8-10, 2024.
Participants gather at the Pakistan Global Burden of Disease Workshop hosted by AKU in Karachi, January 8-10, 2024. Photo by Aga Khan University.
Participants listen to Dr. Ali Mokdad at the Pakistan Global Burden of Disease Workshop hosted at the National Institutes of Health in Islamabad, January 11-12, 2024.
Dr. Ali Mokdad and Dr. Mohsen Naghavi with our colleagues at the National Institutes of Health in Islamabad, led by Dr. Muhammad Salman, CEO.
Dr. Ali Mokdad and Kimberly Cooperrider gathered with Dr. Adnan Khan (RADS), Dr. Sameen Siddiqi (AKU/IHME), and the Honorable Minister of Health Dr. Nadeem Jan (MoNHSR&C) to discuss collaboration with IHME in Pakistan.
Featured projects
GBD Compare in Urdu
We collaborated with the Aga Khan University to translate our most popular data visualization, which compares health trends across over 200 countries and subnational locations.
Health Data for Pakistan Conference
IHME professor Dr. Ali Mokdad presented on Pakistan's disease burden, alongside dozens of other distinguished speakers at the three-day conference hosted in Karachi in 2023.
Collaboration with Prof. Zulfiqar Bhutta
Aga Khan's Prof. Zulfiqar Bhutta was awarded the 2021 Roux Prize for turning evidence into health impact.
Reports and scientific articles
Aga Khan University and IHME have collaborated on numerous scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, policy reports, and blog posts.
Pakistan country profile
Country profiles provide an overview of findings from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), including forecasts for population size, life expectancy, causes of death, and more. They are generated using over 80,000 data sources to produce the most scientifically rigorous estimates possible.
