The Global Burden of Disease: 2004 update provides a comprehensive assessment of the health of the world's population in 2004. Consistent and comparative description of the burden of diseases and injuries is an important input to health decision-making and planning processes. The Global Burden of Disease provides a framework for integrating the available information on mortality and health in populations to assess the comparative importance of diseases and injuries in causing premature death, loss of health and disability in all regions of the world. This report draws upon the extensive databa