Overview
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) was established in 2007 and is based at the University of Washington. It was created to improve understanding of population health by producing comparable, rigorous and transparent health data across countries and over time. The organisation’s core purpose is to support evidence-based decision-making in health policy and planning.
IHME operates as an independent research institute within an academic setting. Its work is global in scope and intended for use by governments, multilaterals, researchers, investors and civil society.
Mission and focus areas
IHME’s mission is to provide accurate and timely health metrics that quantify disease burden, mortality, disability and health system performance. Its research focuses on epidemiology, risk factors, demographic change, health financing and forecasting future health trends.
While not a sustainable finance organisation, IHME’s outputs are increasingly relevant to ESG integration and impact assessment. Health outcomes, demographic risks and system resilience are material to long-term economic performance, sovereign risk, insurance, and social sustainability analysis. IHME data is frequently used to assess social risk exposure and development outcomes.
Structure and governance
IHME is led by a Director and senior leadership team overseeing research programmes, data science and regional engagement. It operates through specialised research teams covering disease modelling, risk analysis, health systems and forecasting.
The institute collaborates extensively with academic partners, governments, multilateral organisations and research networks. Funding is primarily provided through philanthropic and research grants, supporting its non-commercial and independent research mandate.
Programs and offerings
IHME is best known for the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, which provides standardised estimates of mortality, morbidity and risk factors across countries. This work underpins many global health and development assessments.
The organisation also delivers interactive data tools, dashboards and forecasts covering population health, life expectancy and health system capacity. Peer-reviewed publications, open-access datasets and methodological documentation are core outputs. These resources are widely used by policymakers, analysts and sustainability practitioners seeking robust, comparable health metrics.
Mission
IHME delivers to the world timely, relevant, and scientifically valid evidence to improve health policy and practice.
