Ali H. Mokdad

Ali H. Mokdad is chief strategy officer for Population Health at the University of Washington and professor of Health Metrics Sciences at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Prior to working at the University of Washington, Mokdad worked at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has published groundbreaking research on local-level disease trends and leading risk factors for poor health. His work on obesity is among the most highly cited in the field.

Southern States Eat Fewer Fruits and Vegetables: In 2021, nearly 57% of Alabama residents had a low-fruit diet and 75% of residents had a low-vegetable diet.
Food

The Last Mile of Nutrition

by Louisa Ewald, Kate LeGrand, Ali H. Mokdad, Gregory A. Roth

Introducing a new way to measure the health impacts of community-based food programs and farmers markets

A Syrian refugee from Damascus, carries a child as she enters her tent, at the Majdal Anjar refugee camp in Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border in eastern Lebanon, on September 9, 2013.
Migration

For Syrian Refugees, Deadly Hazards Lurk in Camps

by Ali H. Mokdad, Samar Al-Hajj

Substandard living conditions leave Syrian refugees at a higher risk of injury than native Lebanese people

Seattle Mariners infielders hug and dance as they celebrate beating the San Diego Padres 6-1, at T-Mobile Park, in Seattle, Washington, on September 14, 2022.
Aging

The Quest for Social Connection and Well-Being

by Ali H. Mokdad, Dan Barnes, Sara Curran, Kyle Crowder, Jody Early, Meg Robertson

Scientists have been slow at developing strategies that measure and promote well-being within communities

a man helps a woman consume a packet of traditional chinese medicine
Governance

Defanging COVID-19 in China

by Ali H. Mokdad, Simin Liu, Eric L. Ding

China has successfully managed the pandemic, omicron could change that

dummy babies are used during a protest against the war in Ukraine
Migration

Let Ukraine Set the Example for How to Treat Children Caught in Conflict 

by Maja Pašović, Ali H. Mokdad, Katherine Leach-Kemon, Laurent Grosvenor

The world should protect the safety of children in all war zones, including those who don't make the news

U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris receive an update on the COVID-19 pandemic at the CDC, in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 19, 2021.
Governance

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Needs to Be Reformed

by Ali H. Mokdad, Christopher Murray

A new CDC era calls for empowering local health experts and explaining "the why" behind policy recommendations

A medical worker in a protective suit walks near the residential area at Jordan, after the expand of mandatory coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing, in Hong Kong, China January 19, 2021
Governance

What Happens When Zero-COVID Countries Lift Restrictions

by Ruri Syailendrawati, Annie Chan, Katherine Leach-Kemon, Ali H. Mokdad

How Singapore, Australia, Vietnam, and others are transitioning

People with and without masks attend the Florida State Fair as the new omicron “stealth variant” BA.2 spreads, in Tampa, Florida, February 11, 2022.
Governance

After the Mandates End

by Christopher Murray, Ali H. Mokdad

Preparing for the next COVID-19 variant

Vehicles are stuck in a traffic jam on a highway, in Jal el-Dib, Lebanon, on March 9, 2021.
Urbanization

Injuries: A Leading Killer of Youth in Lebanon

by Samar Al-Hajj, Ali H. Mokdad

Traffic accidents are wreaking havoc on young lives, especially children who are refugees

Dancers with the Berlin State Ballet (Staatsballett Berlin) wear face masks during a dress rehearsal of Don Quixote at Deutsche Oper Berlin, in Germany, on December 1, 2021.
Governance

A Sensible Approach to Omicron

by Ali H. Mokdad, Katherine Leach-Kemon

New estimates suggest omicron is just 3 percent as deadly as delta

An elderly man receives an AstraZeneca COVID vaccine as Chile starts a booster campaign for those inoculated with the Sinovac vaccine. Photo taken on August 11, 2021.
Governance

Time for a Smart Approach to Boosters

by Ali H. Mokdad, Eric L. Ding

Some privileged Americans are seeking out supplementary COVID-19 vaccines, but the most vulnerable should be prioritized

A man, wearing a protective face mask, walks past a closed shop after the Austrian government announced a lockdown including the closure of all non-essential shops, as the spread of the coronavirus disease continues, in Vienna, Austria on November 17, 2020
Governance

A Disparate Group of Places Lead the Way Through a Grim Pandemic Winter

by Ali H. Mokdad, Maja Pašović

Minnesota, Austria, and Saudi Arabia are using evidence-based strategies to save lives and protect health systems