Since 1990, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study has guided the setting of health priorities. GBD 2021, the latest iteration, tracked the incidence, prevalence and severity of 371 diseases and aggregated various data sources for national and local estimates. The study significantly increased the emphasis on non-fatal disability measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), including low back pain, migraine and depression. The article points to examinations in the global measurement of gynecological disability within the GBD.