A Call for Responsible Estimation of Global Health

Summary

•   There is new urgency and potential to deliver leadership on the process of global estimation of women's and children's health.
•   Recent controversies over global estimates highlight fundamental questions about the performance of the “suppliers” of the figures and the needs of the “clients”.
•   Stakeholders in the process are now even more diverse, and include country governments, bilateral and multi-lateral agencies, academics, professional associations, and non-governmental organisations, and newer members from global philanthropic organisations and the business community.
•   We propose responsible estimation of global health, which is stakeholder-centric, accountable, and transparent, and which has a clear leader.

This paper is part of a PLoS Medicine cluster of articles discussing the current state of global health estimates and debating the way into the future.

Related papers:

1. Byass P (2010) The Imperfect World of Global Health Estimates. PLoS Med 7: e1006. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001006

2. Boerma T, Mathers C, Abouzahr C (2010) WHO and Global Health Monitoring: The Way Forward. PLoS Med 7: e373. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed. 1000373

3. Murray C, Lopez A (2010) Production and Analysis of Health Indicators: The Role of Academia. PLoS Med 7: e1004. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001004

4. Sankoh O (2010) Global Health Estimates: Stronger Collaboration Needed With Low- and Middle-Income Countries. PLoS Med 7: e1005. doi:10.1371/ journal.pmed.1001005