Every breath we take contains tiny particles that are invisible to the naked eye and can harm our health. Air pollution alone contributes to heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other chronic illnesses. But how can we measure its real impact on people’s lives? How does it compare with other threats, such as smoking, diabetes or infectious diseases?

To answer these questions, scientists use a measure called the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY). This combines years of life lost due to premature death with years lived with illness, showing how much of a population’s health is lost to specific diseases and risk factors. This helps governments to see the bigger picture and decide where to invest for the greatest health gains.

Before the launch of the COST Action European Burden of Disease Network (Burden-EU), each country used different methods, making comparisons almost impossible. The COST Action brought together almost 500 researchers from over 60 countries to create a shared framework for carrying out these studies. The result is more reliable, comparable data to inform policies that can save lives.

A common standard to speak the same language

One of the Action’s most important achievements is the STROBOD statement, a new international standard for reporting burden of disease studies.

“We are particularly proud of the STROBOD statement,” said Prof Brecht Devleesschauwer from Sciensano, Chair of the Action. “As part of our systematic reviews, we saw how variable and unclear some studies were. The STROBOD statement is the first standard protocol for reporting DALY calculations. Its widespread use will increase consistency and transparency, which makes results more comparable and easier to use.”

The STROBOD statement is already helping to train the next generation of researchers. “It also serves as an educational tool,” added Brecht, “helping researchers and students to understand the different choices and assumptions that need to be made when calculating DALYs.”

Knowledge without borders across Europe

The Action placed a strong emphasis on training and knowledge sharing. Through training schools, workshops and webinars, Burden-EU helped over 100 researchers, many from countries with less experience in this field, develop the necessary skills to conduct national burden of disease studies.

“Our training material continues to live on through our Summer Schools,” said Brecht. “We are currently running the second edition after a successful kick-off last year.”

The network also maintains close ties with the WHO Regional Office for Europe by participating in the Health Information Network and other WHO/EURO initiatives. “This includes sharing expertise on burden of disease via a lecture during the Population Health Surveillance training of WHO/EURO,” Brecht continued. “Likewise, we maintain close ties with other international organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), which coordinates the Global Burden of Disease study.”

Continuing the mission

Even after the project officially ended in 2024, the network continued to collaborate. The Burden-EU project continues to run the Burden-EU webinar series on new scientific developments.

“As the COST Action was coming to an end, we reached out to the network to understand what should continue,” said Brecht Devleesschauwer. “We learned that there was still a strong need to continue activities that fostered collaboration and impact. The webinars are a cost-effective activity with a large reach and impact.”

Dr Vanessa Gorasso, the Belgian Action Management Committee Member, now leads the organisation of these webinars at Sciensano. “It’s been a great way to stay active in the community and to keep learning,” she said.

From student to leader

For Vanessa, joining the Action was transformative. “When I started my PhD, I was completely new to the burden of disease methodology. Being part of the network was essential to learn the methods and apply them in my research,” she said.

Her involvement led to lasting collaborations. “The network facilitated multiple collaborations on scientific papers. I also got to be part of the BEST-COST project, a Horizon Europe initiative that brought together many burden-eu partners. One of the nicest advantages for me was connecting with other young researchers. In particular, through the network I met a colleague with whom I’m currently leading a European Public Health Association (EUPHA) section on public health economics. This collaboration would not have been possible without the Action’s role in bringing us together.”

Her professional growth also accelerated. “Early in my career, I had the opportunity to present at the European Public Health Conference alongside Burden-EU colleagues, which was a big milestone for me. Even more meaningful was getting the chance to teach for the first time at one of the network’s training schools.”

In summary, Vanessa said, “Thanks to the Action, I’ve gained visibility in the field and developed both scientific and soft skills. It’s rewarding to see that what started as a COST network has now grown into a living community that continues to make a difference.”

Sustainable impact

From measuring the health effects of air pollution to assessing the burden of chronic diseases, Burden-EU has helped make population health data more comparable, transparent and useful. Its outputs, such as the STROBOD statement, training materials and continuing webinars, will keep supporting researchers and policymakers across Europe.

For Brecht, the greatest success is the sense of community that Burden-EU created. “It’s already difficult for me to imagine a world without the network,” he said. “We have been able to build strong ties that are essential for moving the field forward.”

Additional information

Action webpage

Network webpage

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/burdeneu/

X: @BurdenEU

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/project/burden-eu-European-Burden-of-Disease-Network