Towards a burden of disease research agenda

Abstract

Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY) have become a common metric for assessing the combined effects of morbidity and mortality. However, the lack of resources and/or input data, combined with the complexity of the methodological framework, resulted in major disparities in research capacity and knowledge about burden of disease estimations across Europe. Since 2019, the European Burden of Disease (burden-eu) Network has been acting as a technical platform for strengthening capacity in burden of disease assessments. The burden-eu network developed a forward-looking research agenda, identifying four key burden of disease themes: transparency and availability, method refinement, potential expansions, and specific topics. The research agenda’s priorities can be used to prioritise and guide the design of studies in the burden of disease framework. © The Author(s) 2026.