Chetna Hospital · Research Articles
The world’s biggest health problems, explained with evidence
Every week we take one of the most important problems in global medicine, read the primary research (WHO guidance and peer-reviewed papers in journals such as The Lancet, NEJM, JAMA and The BMJ) and turn it into a clear, data-led brief. The charts, the numbers and the original papers are all linked, so you can check every claim.
Latest brief
Low back pain: the world’s leading cause of disability
619 million people lived with it in 2020, and 843 million are projected by 2050. We unpack the global data, WHO’s first-ever guideline, the gap between evidence and everyday practice, and what the sciatica surgery trials really show.
How we research
Primary sources only
We work from the original papers and official WHO documents, not press summaries or secondary blogs.
Every number traceable
Each figure links to the paper it comes from, with uncertainty ranges wherever the source reports them.
Positions as written
Where WHO or a guideline takes a stance, we report it faithfully, including how certain the underlying evidence is.
Not medical advice
Briefs explain research for curious readers. Decisions about your own care belong with a qualified clinician.
On the research desk
Topics we are researching next, chosen for their global burden and the strength of the evidence available.
Antimicrobial resistance
When common infections stop responding to antibiotics: the scale of the problem, the pathogens WHO worries about most, and what hospitals can do.
After COVID-19: is the world ready for the next pandemic?
What the pandemic taught health systems, and what the WHO Pandemic Agreement sets out to change.
Heart disease: still the world’s biggest killer
Why cardiovascular disease leads global deaths, and which prevention strategies have the strongest evidence.
For editors, researchers and creators
You are welcome to quote our briefs and reuse our charts, with credit to Chetna Hospital and a link to the brief. To report an error or ask about the data, contact us. Corrections are published on the brief itself.
All briefs
01 · 14 November 2026 · Low back pain: the world’s leading cause of disability