Mapping morbidity data and identifying data gaps for EU countries in the Global Burden of Disease 2023 study

Health data are essential to guide effective public policies, especially in contexts of increasing complexity and the need for rapid responses. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is central to burden of disease estimates, including in the European Union (EU). This study identified gaps in the data underlying morbidity estimates in the 2023 GBD study for 27 EU countries.

The GBD2023 Sources Tool was used to identify morbidity data sources, which were analysed by country, year, age, and disease. Data coverage was defined as the inclusion of at least one source for all combinations of age, country, year, and disease.

Highest data coverage was observed in Sweden, Austria, and Germany, and lowest in Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. There was high coverage for infectious diseases, but considerable gaps for leading morbidity causes, including musculoskeletal (15.9%) and mental disorders (32.9%) and unintentional injuries (28.1%). Data coverage was highest for the 2000s.

The study highlighted variations in EU morbidity data coverage in the GBD2023, suggesting potential differences in estimate reliability. Differences may stem from national health information systems and data-sharing barriers. To enhance estimate accuracy and benchmarking among European health systems, improving data collection and utilization is crucial.