SAN FRANCISCO — Last week, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation published two studies revealing health and education disparities on the African continent.
What is significant about these studies is not only the results, but also the process that was used to arrive at them, known as “precision mapping.” With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IHME is mapping a range of global health metrics using 5x5 kilometer units. Whereas national or provincial maps can hide inequality at the community level, these local maps provide stakeholders with better information on where to direct resources.
In an email interview, Devex asked Simon Hay, director of the Local Burden of Disease Study at IHME at the University of Washington in Seattle, to explain the connection between precision public health and sustainable global development.